Meaning & use
tectonic plates
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“tectonic plates” is a form of “tectonic plate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounusually pluraltechnical
The huge slabs of rock that make up the Earth's outer shell and move very slowly over the hot layer beneath.
Grammar: Usually plural: the tectonic plates move; one plate in the singular.
Patterns
- the movement of tectonic plates
- plates collide with something
Earthquakes often happen where tectonic plates rub against each other.
The Himalayas formed when two tectonic plates collided millions of years ago.
Scientists use satellites to measure how fast tectonic plates move.
Word forms
| singular | tectonic plate |
|---|
Common combinations
- movement of tectonic plates
- The movement of tectonic plates reshapes the continents.
- tectonic plates collide
- When tectonic plates collide, mountains can rise.
- plate boundary
- The city sits near a plate boundary.
- shifting tectonic plates
- Shifting tectonic plates caused the earthquake.
- edge of a tectonic plate
- Japan lies along the edge of a tectonic plate.
Synonyms and how they differ
- crustal plates
- Crustal plates is a rarer, more technical phrase that stresses they are pieces of the crust.
- lithospheric plates
- Lithospheric plates is the strictly scientific term and is used mainly in textbooks.
- plates
- Plates alone is a shortcut that works only when the geology context is already clear.
Word family
- tectonic adjective
- relating to the structure and movement of the Earth's crust
- tectonics noun
- the study of the Earth's crust and its movements
- plate tectonics noun
- the theory that the crust is divided into moving plates
- tectonically adverb
- in a way relating to tectonics
Commonly confused: tectonic plates or tectonic plates vs. continents?
tectonic plates vs tectonic plates vs. continents
A continent is a large landmass, while tectonic plates are the rock slabs beneath, and one plate can carry a continent and part of the ocean floor.
Practice
Many earthquakes occur where two ___ meet and grind against each other.
Choose one answer.
Tectonic plates are the moving slabs of the Earth's crust, so earthquakes occur along their edges. Weather fronts and tides do not cause earthquakes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tectonic plates”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.