plateau C2 Topic:Materials & Substances US /plæˈtoʊ/ UK /ˈplætəʊ/ See IPA manual Freq #14558 Meanings 1 noun A comparatively stable level after a period of increase. (of a varying quantity) Childhood obesity, rising for more than two decades, appears to have hit a plateau, a potentially significant milestone in the battle against excessive weight gain among children. 2 verb To reach a stable level after a period of increase; to level off. Mr. [Jensen] Huang is nevertheless correct. Adoption has plateaued. 3 noun a relatively flat highland 4 noun A largely level expanse of land at a high elevation; tableland. Thesaurus Synonyms 3 noun · a relatively flat highland tableland Word family Derived forms plateaulike Etymology Borrowed from French plateau, diminutive of plat (“a plate”); see plate. Doublet of platter. Topics Materials & Substances External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # plateau **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** noun, verb **IPA (US):** /plæˈtoʊ/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈplætəʊ/ **Frequency rank:** 14558 ## Meanings 1. A comparatively stable level after a period of increase. (of a varying quantity) 2. To reach a stable level after a period of increase; to level off. 3. a relatively flat highland 4. A largely level expanse of land at a high elevation; tableland. ## Examples - Childhood obesity, rising for more than two decades, appears to have hit a plateau, a potentially significant milestone in the battle against excessive weight gain among children. - Mr. [Jensen] Huang is nevertheless correct. Adoption has plateaued. ## Derived Forms - plateaulike ## Etymology Borrowed from French plateau, diminutive of plat (“a plate”); see plate. Doublet of platter. ## Topics - Materials & Substances markdown