plaque
plaque — noun
1. a thin flat sign fixed to a wall, statue, or similar surface to identify, explai
a thin flat sign fixed to a wall, statue, or similar surface to identify, explain, or honor someone or something
A bronze plaque beside the gate lists the names of lost sailors.
common collocation: bronze plaque
The school placed a plaque near the library to honor Ms Chen.
plaque + near/on + place
Visitors stopped to read the plaque under the old stone statue.
At the town hall, a small plaque marks the date of the fire.
The museum placed a brass plaque below the portrait with the artist's name.
用法筆記
Often used for something that identifies or honors a person, place, or event. Distinguish from sense 2, which is specifically about a building where a notable person once lived.
2. a sign on a building that tells people a well-known person once lived there
a sign on a building that tells people a well-known person once lived there
A blue plaque outside the flat shows that a famous poet lived there.
common collocation: blue plaque
Tourists photographed the plaque on the house where Rosa Parks once stayed.
On the corner house, a plaque says a young painter once lived there.
Outside the house where Jane Austen lived, the guide pointed to the plaque.
Students found a plaque outside the flat where Mozart lived as a child.
- blue plaque
especially British; often part of an official scheme
- historic marker
common in American English; broader and not limited to former homes
- commemorative plaque
broader term that may honor a person or event without meaning a former residence
用法筆記
Usually fixed outside a house or apartment building and names the former resident. Distinguish from sense 1, which can mark many kinds of people, places, or events.
3. a soft layer of bacteria that collects on teeth
a soft layer of bacteria that collects on teeth
If Maya skips brushing, plaque builds up along her back teeth.
plaque builds up
The dentist showed Leo the plaque near his gums in a mirror.
common context: plaque near the gums
Nightly flossing helps Nina remove plaque between teeth her brush cannot reach.
Too much sweet tea can leave more plaque on children's teeth.
At his checkup, Ken had thick plaque on his back molars.
用法筆記
Usually uncountable in everyday use: people talk about brushing plaque off their teeth or plaque building up over time.
常見錯誤
4. an abnormal raised patch on skin or body tissue, or a build-up inside the body t
an abnormal raised patch on skin or body tissue, or a build-up inside the body that forms such a patch
The scan found plaque in one of Mr Lin's neck arteries.
plaque in + body part
After the scan, doctors worried because plaque had narrowed the vessel near Eva's heart.
plaque + narrow a blood vessel
The doctor said years of smoking had left plaque in Mr Wu's leg arteries.
On the skin test, one red plaque spread across her elbow.
During the ultrasound, the doctor showed Carla plaque inside her neck artery.
用法筆記
Common in medical contexts. Often used with in or on plus a body part, and unlike sense 3 it is not limited to teeth.