What part of speech is plate?

"Plate" can be a few different parts of speech depending on how it's used in a sentence:

* Noun: This is the most common usage. It refers to the flat object used for eating. Example: "I put my dinner on a plate."

* Verb: This is less common, but it means to cover something with a thin layer of metal. Example: "The factory plates the metal with gold."

So, without context, it's impossible to know for sure which part of speech "plate" is.