Obs. [orig. sucre in plate, i.e., sugar in the form of a flat cake: see PLATE sb. 10.] A dainty kind of sweetmeat. Also applied to a sweet lozenge for medicinal use.
c. 1333. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 521. In 3 li. zukur in plate et 2 li. drages … 4s. 5d.
1390. Earl Derby’s Exp. (Camden), 19. Pro iiij lb. sucri plat, rouge et blank.
1402–3. Mem. Ripon (Surtees), III. 208. Sugur en plate.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 484/1. Sukyt plate, sucura crustalis.
1511–2. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 291. Pro quinque lib. confeccionum et le suggurplatt ad 7d.
a. 1536. Tindale, Expos. Matt. vi. (c. 1550), 73. To banket wyth dew (as they saye) of all maner of frutes & confections,… sugreplate wyth malmesaye and romneye burnte with Sugre.
1589. Puttenham, Engl. Poesie, I. xxx. (Arb.), 72. Their banketting dishes of suger plate, or of march paines, and such other dainty meates.
1615. Markham, Eng. Housew. (1660), 92. To make a kind of Suger plate, take Gum Dragon, and lay it in Rose water two dayes: then take the powder of fair Heppes & Suger, and the juyce of an Orenge.
1630. Brathwait, Eng. Gentlem. (1641), 153. Physicians [make use] of sugar-plates, which they minister to their patients, to take away the taste of a more bitter potion.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. iii. 85/1. Sugar plate, is White Sugar sifted, White of Egs, Gum Dragon and Rose Water beaten into a Paste, then moulded into any form, and so Print it.
