fishplateEtymologyFrom fish + plate. See fish (“curved wooden bar used to strengthen a ship's mast”).nounA metal bar that is bolted to the ends of two rails to join them together in a track.“The train, minus the three abandoned trucks, again proceeded at a slow pace, with a pump trolley doing pilot ahead ; this was very necessary as a great many sleepers were found to have been burnt underneath the fishplates.”verbTo connect (rails) together using a fishplate.“One section of the line will consist of 60 ft. lengths of rail welded together on site to form fully continuous rails; another will be of 300 ft. lengths, flash butt-welded in Dinsdale Rail Welding Depot and fishplated together on site; [...].”