Where does “smokeplate” come from?

smokeplate (English) comes from English plate, from Old French plate, from Medieval Latin plata, from Vulgar Latin plattus, from Ancient Greek πλατύς, from Proto-Indo-European pléth₂us, from Proto-Indo-European pleth₂- — flat.

smokeplate (English): A plate fitted to the underside of a footbridge deck to deflect the smoke from a steam locomotive passing underneath

Definitions

  1. A plate fitted to the underside of a footbridge deck to deflect the smoke from a steam locomotive passing underneath

Ancestry of “smokeplate”, step by step

smokeplate traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English plate

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplateA slightly curved but almost flat dish from which...
2Old Frenchplatea flat metal disk; a flat plate of armor
3Medieval Latinplatasilver
4Vulgar Latinplattusflattened; flat; smooth
5Ancient Greekπλατύςwide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpléth₂usflat, broad
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpleth₂-flat

via English smoke

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsmokeThe visible vapor/vapour, gases, and fine...
2Middle Englishsmokesmoke
3Old Englishsmocasmoke
4Proto-Germanicsmukôsmoke, nebulous air
5Danishsmug-secretly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleth₂-