plateau

Everyday

1. A plateau is a large, flat area of high land, higher than the land around it. tree →
2. A plateau is a time when something stops going up or down and stays at the same level («Her progress reached a plateau»). tree →
3. To plateau is to stop growing or improving and stay level. tree →

In the lessons

In geography lessons, plateaus such as the Tibetan Plateau or the Colorado Plateau are landforms, like mountains and valleys. In maths and science, on a line graph a plateau is the flat part where the value stays the same. In sport and learning, you «hit a plateau» when you stop improving for a while.

Examples

• The Tibetan Plateau is the highest in the world. tree →
• The village stands on a flat plateau above the valley. tree →
• On the graph, the line reaches a plateau after ten minutes. tree →
• My reading scores have plateaued this term. tree →
• Athletes sometimes hit a plateau in training. tree →
• The temperature rose, then plateaued at 100 °C as the water boiled. tree →
• Cows grazed on the windy plateau. tree →

Note

Plural: plateaus or plateaux (French spelling). Pronounced «PLAT-oh». On a graph, a flat line means «no change» in the amount.