platen: Meaning and Definition of

plat•en

Pronunciation: (plat'n), [key]
— n.
  1. a flat plate in a printing press for pressing the paper against the inked type or plate to produce an impression.
  2. a rotating cylinder used for the same purpose.
  3. the roller of a typewriter.
  4. (on a planing machine or the like) the bed to which the work is fastened.
  5. (on a testing machine) a plate for applying compression to a sample.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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