boiler plate

Noun

boilerplate (countable and uncountable, plural boilerplates)

1. (literal) A sheet of copper or steel used in the construction of a boiler.
   • That is, suppose we fix a piece of iron, a strip of boilerplate, for instance, ¼ of an inch thick and 4 inches wide, at a temperature of 92 degrees Fahr., between a pair of immovable clamps.1885 April 4, Don Kretz, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks, Scientific American Supplement, number 483, archived from the original on 10 Feb 2026
2. (broadly, uncountable, literal) Any metal taking the form of sheets used in the construction of a boiler.
3. (literal) A plate attached to industrial machinery, identifying information such as manufacturer, model number, serial number, and power requirements.
4. (UK, literal) The rating plate or nameplate required to be affixed to a boiler by the Boiler Explosions Act (1882).
5. (figuratively) Syndicated material; repeatable stories, articles or advertisements.
   • […] they have neither the responsibility nor the inclination to cover the real news of the community and consequently have little editorial expense, relying on handouts and cheap boilerplate materials to fill up the spots where they have no ads.1966, Editor & Publisher, volume 99, page 46
6. (figuratively) A copy for the purpose of making other copies.

   Synonyms:

   template

See all 15 meanings of boilerplate