To electroplate something is to give it a very thin metal skin using electricity. You put the object in a special liquid that holds metal, run a current through it, and that metal settles on the surface like a coat of paint — only it is real metal, often silver, gold, nickel, or chrome. People do this so a cheaper metal can shine like a precious one, so a tap or a car part will not rust, or so jewellery looks richer than it is. A “silver” spoon may only be electroplated: the silver is a film, and years of rubbing can wear it through so the metal underneath shows. Factories electroplate tools, fittings, and ornaments; it is a workshop word. At home people more often say gold-plated or silver-plated. You will also hear electroplate as a name for things made this way, especially old silver plate. Though actually, the coat is so thin that “solid silver” and “electroplated” are not the same thing at all, even when they look alike in the shop.

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