Plaque vs plack

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Grammarist

Plaque is 1.) an inscribed commemorative or ornamental tablet composed of a durable material such as metal or wood that is attached to a wall or other structure 2.) a sticky bacteria substance that attaches itself to teeth 3.) any patch on the body that is abnormal, such as a patch of psoriasis. The word plaque is derived from the Dutch word plakken, which means to stick.

Plack is often seen to mean any of the definitions of the word plaque, however, this is a misspelling. The only accepted meaning of the word plack is to describe a small copper coin used in Scotland in the 1400s and 1500s. The word plack comes from the Flemish word placke meaning a small coin.

Examples

Friya said she is looking for help from people who are in touch with graduates who may have moved out of the area and don’t get the alumni newsletter to know about the plaque. (The Macomb Daily)

Plaques are patches of raised, red, and inflamed skin, often covered with a layer of silvery scales. (Science Daily)

The gel contains a chemical called edathamil that binds to calcium in plaque, neutralizing the positive charge that causes the bacterial film to adhere to teeth, he adds. (The Wall Street Journal)

Mariano Rivera walked to the podium near home plate at Yankee Stadium to speak about his newly dedicated plaque, which will be placed in Monument Park behind center field. (USA Today)

He was one of the 19 Z Special Unit survivors hailed as heroes by thousands of people from all over Australia who braved a blustery winter Canberra morning during a long overdue plaque dedication at the Australian War Memorial on Monday. (The Canberra Times)

Lower-value coins included the bawbee, groat, testoon and plack. (The Independent)