The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Plate \Plate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plated; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Plating.]
   1. To cover or overlay with gold, silver, or other metals,
      either by a mechanical process, as hammering, or by a
      chemical process, as electrotyping.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To cover or overlay with plates of metal; to arm with
      metal for defense.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thus plated in habiliments of war.    --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To adorn with plated metal; as, a plated harness.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To beat into thin, flat pieces, or lamin[ae].
      [1913 Webster]

   5. To calender; as, to plate paper.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Plating \Plat"ing\, n.
   1. The art or process of covering anything with a plate or
      plates, or with metal, particularly of overlaying a base
      or dull metal with a thin plate of precious or bright
      metal, as by mechanical means or by electro-magnetic
      deposition.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A thin coating of metal laid upon another metal.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A coating or defensive armor of metal (usually steel)
      plates.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

plating
    n 1: a thin coating of metal deposited on a surface [syn:
         plating, metal plating]
    2: the application of a thin coat of metal (as by electrolysis)

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

49 Moby Thesaurus words for "plating":
   anodized aluminum, chromium plate, coat, coating, collop,
   copperplate, covering, cut, deal, disk, electrocoating,
   electroplating, feuille, film, flap, foil, fold, gold plate,
   lamella, lamina, laminated glass, laminated wood, lap, leaf,
   membrane, nickel plate, pane, panel, patina, peel, pellicle, plait,
   plank, plate, ply, plywood, rasher, safety glass, scum, sheet,
   silver plate, skin, slab, slat, slice, table, tablet, veneer,
   wafer