an area of flat land that is higher than the land around it 高原 
The summit is a windswept plateau of scattered rocks. 山顶暴风肆虐，碎石散布。 From a narrow fringe of coastal plain, the main island rises to a central plateau. 主岛的沿海地带狭窄平缓，中部隆起形成高原。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- broad
- vast
- …
- reach
- overlook something
- across a/the plateau
a time of little or no change after a period of growth or progress （发展、增长后的）稳定期，停滞期 Inflation has reached a plateau. 通货膨胀停了下来。 🔊🔊 The children's standard of reading seems to have reached a plateau. 孩子们的阅读水平似乎停滞不前了。
Word Originlate 18th cent.: from French, from Old French platel, diminutive of plat ‘level’.