plateau

[ pla-tohor, especially British, plat-oh ]

noun

, plural pla·teaus, pla·teaux [pla-, tohz, plat, -ohz].

1. a land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons.
2. a period or state of little or no growth or decline:

   to reach a plateau in one's career.

3. Psychology. a period of little or no apparent progress in an individual's learning, marked by an inability to increase speed, reduce number of errors, etc., and indicated by a horizontal stretch in a learning curve or graph.
4. a flat stand, as for a centerpiece, sometimes extending the full length of a table.

verb (used without object)

, pla·teaued, pla·teau·ing.

1. to reach a state or level of little or no growth or decline, especially to stop increasing or progressing; remain at a stable level of achievement; level off:

   After a period of uninterrupted growth, sales began to plateau.

verb (used with object)

, pla·teaued, pla·teau·ing.

1. to cause to remain at a stable level, especially to prevent from rising or progressing:

   Rising inflation plateaued sales income.

Plateau

¹

/ ˈplætəʊ /

noun

1. a state of central Nigeria, formed in 1976 from part of Benue-Plateau State: tin mining. Capital: Jos. Pop: 3 178 712 (2006). Area: 30 913 sq km (11 936 sq miles)

plateau

²

/ ˈplætəʊ /

noun

1. a wide mainly level area of elevated land
2. a relatively long period of stability; levelling off

   the rising prices reached a plateau

verb

1. to remain at a stable level for a relatively long period

plateau

/ plă-tō′ /

1. An elevated, comparatively level expanse of land. Plateaus make up about 45 percent of the Earth's land surface.

Word History and Origins

Origin of plateau¹

1785–95; < French; Old French platel flat object, diminutive of plat plate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of plateau¹

C18: from French, from Old French platel something flat, from plat flat; see plate

Related Words

• elevation
• highland
• plain