n.
Pronunciation: ' tem-pl ə t
Function: noun
Etymology: probably from French templet, diminutive of temple, part of a loom, probably from Latin templum
Date: 1677
1 : a short piece or block placed horizontally in a wall under a beam to distribute its weight or pressure (as over a door)
2 a (1) : a gauge, pattern, or mold (as a thin plate or board) used as a guide to the form of a piece being made (2) : a molecule (as of DNA) that serves as a pattern for the generation of another macromolecule (as messenger RNA) b : OVERLAY C
3 : something that establishes or serves as a pattern