# boilerplate

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #52,189

## Definitions
1. A sheet of copper or steel used in the construction of a boiler.
2. The rating plate or nameplate required to be affixed to a boiler by the Boiler Explosions Act (1882).
3. A plate attached to industrial machinery, identifying information such as manufacturer, model number, serial number, and power requirements.
4. Syndicated material.
5. Standard text of a legal or official nature added to documents or labels.
6. A standard piece of program code used routinely and added with a text editor or word processor.
7. Formulaic or hackneyed language.
8. Hard, icy snow which may be dangerous for skiing.

## Etymology
From boiler + plate. First use appears c. 1793 in the periodical Star.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/boilerplate