What does "plaque" mean?
Any flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament, or for painting pictures upon, as a dish, plate, slab, etc., hung upon a wall; also, a smaller decoration worn by a person, such as a brooch.
Plaque
/plæk/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament, or for painting pictures upon, as a dish, plate, slab, etc., hung upon a wall; also, a smaller decoration worn by a person, such as a brooch.
- Grammar: plaque is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: arch, arterial deposit, atheroma, atherosclerotic plaque.
- Useful contrasts: clean tooth surface, intact monolayer, macule.
- Usage evidence: I think I have a lot of plaque build up.
How to use "plaque"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "plaque" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "plaque" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "plaque" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "plaque" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "plaque" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "arch" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "plaque", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament, or for painting pictures upon, as a dish, plate, slab, etc., hung upon a wall; also, a smaller decoration worn by a person, such as a brooch. countable
- 2 a memorial made of brass wordnet
- 3 A piece of flat metal with writing on it, attached to a building, monument, or other structure to remind people of a person or an event. countable
- 4 (pathology) a small abnormal patch on or inside the body wordnet
- 5 A small card representing an amount of money, used for betting in casinos; a sort of gaming chip. countable
"But on this June evening when Bond walked through the 'kitchen' into the salle privée, it was with a sensation of confidence and cheerful anticipation that he changed a million francs into plaques of fifty mille and took a seat […]"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 A clearing in a bacterial lawn caused by a virus. countable
- 7 In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system: any flat, thin musical instrument. countable
"blown plaques"
- 8 A broad patch of abnormal tissue distinguishable from surrounding tissue, especially a broad papule (“inflamed, irritated patch”) on the skin. countable
- 9 An abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease. countable, uncountable
"amyloid plaque"
- 10 An abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease.; An accumulation in artery walls made up of macrophage cells and debris containing lipids, (cholesterol and fatty acids), calcium, and connective tissue; an atheroma. countable, uncountable
"As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn't entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time."
- 11 An abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease.; An accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth, which may develop into dental calculus (tartar). uncountable
- 12 An abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease.; A deposit of beta-amyloid protein occurring in a nerve cell and associated with Alzheimer's disease. countable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I think I have a lot of plaque build up."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "plaque"?
Common synonyms include: arch, arterial deposit, atheroma, atherosclerotic plaque, award, badge.
How do you use "plaque" in a sentence?
I think I have a lot of plaque build up.
How do you pronounce "plaque"?
Pronounced /plæk/.
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French plaque (“plate, sheet (of metal); slab (of marble); bacteria on teeth”), from French plaquer, Middle French plaquer (“to plate”), from Middle Dutch placken (“to patch, beat metal into a thin plate”), from placke (“disk, patch, stain”), from Old Dutch *plagga (“patch”), from Proto-Germanic *plaggą (“patch”). The word is cognate with Middle Low German placke, plagge (“small stain, scraps, rags, thin grass”), German Placken (“spot, patch”), Saterland Frisian plak, plakke (“a blow, slap”), Swedish plagg (“clothing, garment”). Compare plack.