Meaning & use
side plate
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A small plate used for bread, salad, or a small portion beside the main dish.
Grammar: Countable, so it takes 'a' and a plural 'side plates'.
Patterns
- a side plate
- on a side plate
- pass someone a side plate
Could you bring a side plate for the bread?
She put the salad on a side plate next to his dinner.
We need six side plates for the starters.
nouncountabletechnical
A plate fixed to the side of a machine or vehicle as a protective or identifying panel.
Grammar: Countable and technical; often used in the plural for matching panels.
Patterns
- side plates
- the side plate of something
The side plates on the machine were loose.
He unscrewed the side plate to reach the engine.
Word forms
| plural | side plates |
|---|
Common combinations
- a small side plate
- Use a small side plate for the cheese.
- on a side plate
- Serve the pickles on a side plate.
- pass the side plates
- Can you pass the side plates, please?
- a set of side plates
- They bought a set of side plates to match the dinner service.
Synonyms and how they differ
- saucer
- A saucer is the small shallow dish under a cup, not a plate for food beside a main dish.
- small plate
- A plain description of size; 'side plate' is the usual name for the plate used with a main course.
Opposites
Word family
- side dish noun
- A small amount of food served beside the main dish.
- sideboard noun
- A piece of furniture for storing plates and dishes.
Commonly confused: side plate or side dish?
side plate vs side dish
A side dish is the food itself; a side plate is the dish you put it on.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'side plate' naturally.
Choose one answer.
A side plate is the small plate for bread or a small portion, so 'served the bread on a side plate' fits. The other options use 'side plate' where 'side,' 'page,' or 'side' would be meant.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “side plate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.