Saucer vs. Plate: What’s the Difference?
Saucer
A saucer is a type of small dishware. While in the Middle Ages a saucer was used for serving condiments and sauces, currently the term is used to denote a small plate or shallow bowl that supports a cup – usually one used to serve coffee or tea (see teacup). The center of the saucer often contains a depression sized to fit a matching cup; this depression is sometimes raised, and antique saucers may omit it altogether. The saucer is useful for protecting surfaces from possible damage due to the heat of a cup, and to catch overflow, splashes, and drips from the cup, thus protecting both table linen and the user sitting in a free-standing chair who holds both cup and saucer. The saucer also provides a convenient place for a damp spoon, as might be used to stir the drink in the cup in order to mix sweeteners or creamers into tea or coffee. Some people pour the hot tea or coffee from the cup into the saucer; the increased surface area of the liquid exposed to the air increases the rate at which it cools, allowing the drinker to consume the beverage quickly after preparation.
Although often part of a place setting in a dinner set, teacups with unique styling are often sold with matching saucers, sometimes alone, or as part of a tea set, including a teapot and small dessert plates. A set of four is typical for a tea set.
Saucers have very little direct influence on beverage cooling rate: cups typically have low contact area with the saucer, so the heat transfer rate is low.
For hot, water based beverages (e.g. tea or coffee), cooling rate in a cup is typically dominated by evaporation, which occurs across the free surface in contact with the air. Placing a saucer on top of a cup prevents such evaporative cooling taking place and is thus an effective way of reducing the cooling rate so that the drink remains warmer for longer. The reduction in heat loss due to evaporation is typically much greater than the increase in heat loss associated with conduction through the saucer (and subsequent radiation or convective transfer to the surrounding air).
Saucer (noun)
A small shallow dish to hold a cup and catch drips.
Saucer (noun)
An object round and gently curved (shaped like a saucer).
“The saucer-shaped object could have been a UFO.”
Saucer (noun)
A small pan or vessel in which sauce was set on a table.
Saucer (noun)
A flat, shallow caisson for raising sunken ships.
Saucer (noun)
A shallow socket for the pivot of a capstan.
Saucer (verb)
To pour (tea, etc.) from the cup into the saucer in order to cool it before drinking.
Plate (noun)
A flat dish from which food is served or eaten.
“I filled my plate from the bountiful table.”
Plate (noun)
Such dishes collectively.
Plate (noun)
The contents of such a dish.
“I ate a plate of beans.”
Plate (noun)
A course at a meal.
“The meat plate was particularly tasty.”
Plate (noun)
An agenda of tasks, problems, or responsibilities
“With revenues down and transfer payments up, the legislature has a full plate.”
Plate (noun)
A flat metallic object of uniform thickness.
“A clutch usually has two plates.”
Plate (noun)
A vehicle license plate.
“He stole a car and changed the plates as soon as he could.”
Plate (noun)
A layer of a material on the surface of something, usually qualified by the type of the material; plating
“The bullets just bounced off the steel plate on its hull.”
Plate (noun)
A material covered with such a layer.
“If you’re not careful, someone will sell you silverware that’s really only silver plate.”
Plate (noun)
A decorative or food service item coated with silver.
“The tea was served in the plate.”
Plate (noun)
A weighted disk, usually of metal, with a hole in the center for use with a barbell, dumbbell, or exercise machine.
Plate (noun)
An engraved surface used to transfer an image to paper.
“We finished making the plates this morning.”
Plate (noun)
An image or copy.
Plate (noun)
An illustration in a book, either black and white, or colour, usually on a page of paper of different quality from the text pages.
Plate (noun)
A shaped and fitted surface, usually ceramic or metal that fits into the mouth and in which teeth are implanted; a dental plate.
Plate (noun)
A horizontal framing member at the top or bottom of a group of vertical studs.
Plate (noun)
A foot, from “plates of meat”.
“Sit down and give your plates a rest.”
Plate (noun)
Home plate.
“There was a close play at the plate.”
Plate (noun)
A tectonic plate.
Plate (noun)
Plate armour.
“He was confronted by two knights in full plate.”
Plate (noun)
Any of various larger scales found in some reptiles.
Plate (noun)
A flat electrode such as can be found in an accumulator battery, or in an electrolysis tank.
Plate (noun)
The anode of a vacuum tube.
“Regulating the oscillator plate voltage greatly improves the keying.”
Plate (noun)
A coin, usually a silver coin.
Plate (noun)
A roundel of silver or tinctured argent.
Plate (noun)
A prize given to the winner in a contest.
Plate (noun)
Any flat piece of material such as coated glass or plastic.
Plate (noun)
A metallic card, used to imprint tickets with an airline’s logo, name, and numeric code.
Plate (noun)
The ability of a travel agent to issue tickets on behalf of a particular airline.
Plate (noun)
A VIN plate, particularly with regard to the car’s year of manufacture.
Plate (noun)
One of the thin parts of the brisket of an animal.
Plate (noun)
A very light steel horseshoe for racehorses.
Plate (noun)
Skins for fur linings of garments, sewn together and roughly shaped, but not finally cut or fitted.
Plate (noun)
The fine nap (as of beaver, musquash, etc.) on a hat whose body is made from inferior material.
Plate (noun)
A record, usually vinyl.
Plate (noun)
Precious metal, especially silver.
Plate (verb)
To cover the surface material of an object with a thin coat of another material, usually a metal.
“This ring is plated with a thin layer of gold.”
Plate (verb)
To place the various elements of a meal on the diner’s plate prior to serving.
“After preparation, the chef will plate the dish.”
Plate (verb)
To score a run.
“The single plated the runner from second base.”
Plate (verb)
To specify which airline a ticket will be issued on behalf of.
“Tickets are normally plated on an itinerary’s first international airline.”
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