platen: Meaning and Definition of

plat•en

1. a flat plate in a printing press for pressing the paper against the inked type or plate to produce an impression.
2. a rotating cylinder used for the same purpose.
3. the roller of a typewriter.
4. (on a planing machine or the like) the bed to which the work is fastened.
5. (on a testing machine) a plate for applying compression to a sample.