plat

Meanings

Noun

• A plot of land; a lot.
• A map showing the boundaries of real properties (delineating one or more plots of land), especially one that forms part of a legal document.
• A plot, a scheme.
• A braid; a plait (of hair, straw, etc.).
• Material produced by braiding or interweaving, especially a material of interwoven straw from which straw hats are made.

Verb

• To create a plat; to lay out property lots and streets; to map.
• To braid, to plait.

Adjective

• Flat; level; frank, on the level.

Adverb

• Flatly, plainly.

Origin

• The noun is derived from Middle English plat, platte, probably a variant of Middle English plot, (modern English plot) and influenced by Middle English plat, plate (modern English plate) and Anglo-Norman, Middle French and Old French plat. See platy-, plaice, flat.
• The verb is derived from the noun.
• The noun is a variant of plait.
• The verb is from Middle English platte, English plat, respectively archaic past and past participle forms of English pleat (a variant of plait), Middle English platten ("to braid, weave; plait; to fold").
• From Middle English plat, plate, platte, from Anglo-Norman, Middle French, and Old French plat ("(adjective) flat, level; calm; blunt, plain; (adverb) in a flat position; directly, straight; bluntly, plainly"), from Vulgar Latin *plattus ("flat; smooth"); further etymology uncertain, but possibly from Ancient Greek πλατύς ("flat; wide"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- ("flat").
• The English word is cognate with French plat, Italian piatto, Middle Dutch plat (modern Dutch plat ("flat")), Middle High German blat, plat, Middle Low German plat (modern German platt ("flat")), Old Danish plat (modern Danish plat), Old Occitan plat (modern Occitan plat), Old Swedish plat (modern Swedish platt); and is a flat.