platesful

Multiple loaded dishes

Platesful is a plural of plateful, referring to multiple quantities equal to what a plate can hold.

If you prepare three platesful of appetizers for a party, you've filled three plates to capacity.

The alternative plural platesful emphasizes the plates themselves as units of measurement, while platefuls (the more common form) treats plateful as a single noun taking a standard -s plural.

feast

banquet

Formal celebratory meal

buffetSelf-service meal display
spreadTo distribute widely
potluckCommunal meal, shared contributions

celebration · wedding · holiday · thanksgiving · gathering · party · reception · dinner · festive · sumptuous

abundance

heaping

Overfull, mounded above

overflowingExceeding capacity, spilling out
piledPlaced in layers
stackedArranged in a heap

generous · ample · bountiful · mountainous · towering · loaded · brimming · copious · lavish · profuse

serving

portions

Divided amounts allocated

helpingsMeasured food portions
servingsIndividual food portions
secondsTime units, or extras

thirds · courses · dishing · ladling · spooning · passing · replenishing · refilling · distributing · catering

hospitality

guests

People received hospitably

hostingReceiving guests socially
welcomeHospitable greeting offered
generosityReadiness to give freely

entertaining · sharing · offering · serving · warmth · kindness · gathering · family · communal · graciousness

quantity

dozens

Groups of twelve

scoresAchieves points; many
multipleConsisting of many parts
numerousExisting in great quantity

several · successive · countless · many · stacks · loads · heaps · masses · piles · servings

Opposites

quantity/amount

platesfulmorsel

Small piece of food

crumb · bite · nibble · scrap · taste

Family

plate, platform, plentiful, plates, platter, plateau, plateful, platforms, plateaus

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G