A plate is a wide, concave but mostly flat container on which food can be held. Plates can also be used for ritual or decorative purposes. Most of the boards are round, but can be of any shape or made of any waterproof material. Usually, the plate is raised around the edge by bending or by a wider lip or bulge. Containers without lips, especially if they have a more rounded outline, may be treated as bowls or bowls, just like very large containers with plates. Plates are cutlery. They are cutlery. Wood, pottery and metal plates can be traced back to ancient times in many cultures.

Plates are usually made of ceramic materials such as bone china, porcelain, glazed pottery and stone, as well as other traditional materials such as glass, wood or metal. Occasionally, stone has been used. Despite the wide variety of plastics and other modern materials, ceramics and other traditional materials are still the most common, except for special uses, such as baby boards. Porcelain and bone china used to be luxurious materials, but now most people in the world can afford them. The most durable cheap sheet metal is still common in developing countries.