soleplates

Noun

soleplate (plural soleplates)

1. The flat metal plate forming the underside of an iron (for ironing laundry).
   • For example, a nonstick soleplate or a control for a burst of steam adds about $2 to an iron's retail price.1973, Electric Irons
2. A sole (timber).
3. The base timber in the framing for a wall, to which the studs or posts are attached and on which they rest.
   • For a longer wall, secure the soleplate in three places: at least 4 inches and at most 12 inches from each end and in the middle. Using a 1⁄2-inch drill bit, drill through the soleplate.2012, Jeff Cox, Cellaring Wine
4. The back wall of a bucket on a water wheel (which is omitted in certain designs).
   • The principle of the consruction of the buckets is more clearly shown on an enlarged scale in fig. 3, Plate III., the soleplate being abandoned and the bucket plates bent round and prolonged upwards so as to overlap one another, leaving an opening indicated by the arrows for the escape of the...1861, Sir William Fairbairn, Treatise on Mills and Mill Work, page 136
5. Any baseplate on which machinery rests, especially one to which things are bolted.
   • The various parts of the engine are secured to a casting called the soleplate, which rests on the engine foundation and is securely bolted thereto.1907, John Duncan, Steam and Other Engines, page 11
6. A flat surface on which the sole of the foot rests.
   • One binding, the Besser soleplate binding, has developed a system that actually can improve skiing performance under the stress of hard skiing.1973 November, “Who Says a Ski Binding Can't Improve your Skiing.”, in Skiing, volume 26, number 3, page 129