To coat an object with a thin layer of metal using electricity, usually to make it shiny, protect it, or add a valuable metal like gold or silver.
From electro- (electricity) plus plate (a thin layer). The word emerged in the 19th century when chemists discovered they could use electrical current to move metal ions and deposit them on objects.
Electroplating revolutionized manufacturing and made luxury items affordable—suddenly, everyday objects could be covered with a layer of gold or silver that looked identical to solid precious metal, which is why your grandmother's jewelry might be electroplated rather than solid gold.
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