heel-plate
1. The plate on the butt-end of a gun-stock.
| 1847 Infantry Man. (1854) 34 Bring the firelock..to the shoulder, pressing the centre part of the heel-plate..into the hollow of it. 1881 Greener Gun 257 The heel-plates are either of buffalo horn or ebonite. |
2. A metal plate protecting the heel of a shoe.
| 1895 Montgomery Ward Catal. 526/1 Star heel plates, for preventing boots and shoes from wearing off at the heels. 1905 Daily Chron. 27 Dec. 4/7 The accident was through A wicked heel-plate on my shoe. 1959 Sears, Roebuck Catal. Spring & Summer 565/1 Home shoe repair outfit, includes..6 pairs of heel plates. |
3. A plate to support the heel of the boot in a metal skate; also, ‘a slotted plate fixed on a boot-heel, to which a skate may be locked’ (Funk's Standard Dict. 1893).
| 1890 D. Adams Skating 5 A metal sole and heel-plate screwed on to the boot with ordinary screws, is unquestionably the best and firmest. 1895 G. A. Meagher Figure & Fancy Skating 19 A perfect skate should be all of one piece. This is effected by welding the toe and heel plates on to the blade itself. |