boilerplate
UK[ˈbɔɪləpleɪt]US[ˈbɔɪlərpleɪt]
n
standard, formulaic, or repetitive text, language, or procedures, especially in documents, contracts, or computer code.
n
steel rolled in large, flat plates for making boilers or ships.
Morpheme Breakdown
boiler
plate
boiler
plate
Etymology
the term 'boilerplate' originated in the late 19th-century american newspaper industry. publishers would receive syndicated content, such as advertisements or generic stories, cast or stamped onto ready-made steel plates, which were originally produced for building steam boilers and ships. this pre-manufactured, unchangeable plate became a metaphor for any standardized, non-original text that could be reused without alteration. over time, the meaning expanded from its literal, industrial roots to encompass any repetitive, formulaic language, particularly in legal documents, contracts, and computer programming.
Analysis
Structure: boiler + plate
boiler (from english 'boil', meaning a device for heating liquid) + plate (from old french 'plate', meaning a flat sheet of metal)
Examples
the contract was mostly boilerplate, with only a few clauses needing negotiation.
programmers often reuse boilerplate code to save time on routine setup tasks.
in the 1800s, small newspapers relied on boilerplate to fill their pages with national news.