Emily Dickinson Lexicon

plashless, adv. [see plash, n.]

Smoothly; fluidly; deftly; elegantly; gracefully; in a flowing manner; without splashing; without disturbing the surface of the water.

plate (-s), n. [ME < OFr < L. plattus, flat.] (webplay: eaten, table).

1. Dish; piece of table ware; flat, round piece of wood or earthenware made to hold an individual serving of food; [fig.] stomach; appetite; hunger; desire for nourishment.
2. Place setting; table service; individual set of eating utensils and vessels arranged together on a table in anticipation of a person being seated in that position at a meal.
3. Serving platter; flat dish on which an entree is presented; [fig.] foundation; basis.

plate (-d), v. [see plate, n.] (webplay: broad).

1. Cover; coat; gild; overlay; [fig.] enshroud; disguise; camouflage; cloak; mask; hide; conceal.
2. Decorate; adorn; beautify; [fig.] enhance; dress up; make more appealing.

plated, verbal adj. [see plate, n.] (webplay: gold, piece, silver).

1. Impure; covered with a thin layer of precious metal on the surface which deceptively conceals an interior of baser metal; [fig.] counterfeit; hypocritical; dissembling; duplicitous; two-faced.
2. Tempered; beaten; worn smooth; made useful for decoration; made pliable by striking into a thin, flat sheet; [fig.] chastened; subdued; made humble; more beautiful because of adversity.
3. Masked; disguised; [fig.] traitorous; untrustworthy.

Plato, proper n. [Gk platus, broad-shouldered.] (webplay: mind, opinion, time).

Ancient Greek philosopher (ca. 429-347 B.C.); disciple of Socrates; teacher of Aristotle; nickname for ED's schoolmate Abiah Root (see ED's letters).

platoon, n. [Fr. peloton, little ball.]

Formation; convoy; unit; troop; legion; squadron; orderly arrangement; group of soldiers.

plaudit, n. [Shortened form of plaudite < L. plauditē, applaud ye!, customary appeal for applause by Roman actors at the end of a play.]

Applause; ovation; acceptance; praise; recognition; acknowledgment; commendation; expression of approval.

plausibility, n. [see plausible, adj.] (webplay: man).

1. Likelihood; believability; credibility; apparent authenticity.
2. Commonness; ordinariness; lack of remarkableness.

plausible, adj. [L. plausibilis, deserving applause, acceptable.] (webplay: appearance).

Realistic; believable; credible; possible; actual; genuine; seemingly authentic; apparently true.

plausibly, adv. [see plausible, adj.]

Believably; credibly; speciously; outwardly pleasing; superficially right; apparently gratifying; [fig.] having the appearance of being the genuine article.