plaquette

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French plaquette (“small plaque”), allegedly coined in the 1860s.

Noun

plaquette (plural plaquettes)

1. A small metal tablet decorated in bas-relief, usually with a design including figures.
2. (physics) The smallest closed loop, enclosing the region between four lattice sites, in lattice gauge theory.

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French

Etymology

plaque +‎ -ette

Noun

plaquette f (plural plaquettes)

1. packet (of butter); strip, blister pack (of pills)
2. (hematology, cytology) platelet
3. (automobile, ~ de frein) brake pad

Synonyms

• thrombocyte

Further reading

• “plaquette”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French plaquette (“small plaque”).

Noun

plaquette f (uncountable)

1. booklet, pamphlet
2. a small commemorative plaque

Synonyms

• (booklet): opuscolo
• (small commemorative plaque): targhetta commemorativa, piccola targa commemorativa