Here are a few terms used in describing license plates:

baseplate or base - A permanent or semi-permanent plate, often undated, intended for several years of use.

booster - A plate not intended for registration purposes, usually attached to the front of the car.  Often advertises a specific pace or event.  Often used by car dealerships in jurisdictions where there isn't any front plate.

die - The style or font of the registration number embossed or printed on the plate.  die-type - when a particular issue is made using more than one die style, for example the 1938 Ontario.

DMV - Department of Motor Vehicles. The body responsible for issuing license plates to motorists. Sometimes called the RMV (Registrar) or BMV (Bureau).

embossing - The raised inscriptions stamped into the plate.  If the inscriptions are impressed downwards, the plate is said to be debossed

fiberboard - The group of plates which are issued on composite wood-fiber material.  The most famous plates in Canada are the pre 1925 Quebec issues.

first issue - The first year license plates were officially issued by the jurisdiction, for a particular use.  This does not refer to the first plate issued for any particular series, such as "1" or "AAA 001".

natural - A license plate issued, to expire the same year as the top sticker showing.  This means there should only be one sticker, as opposed to several thereby showing several years of use.

passenger - A privately owned car for the sole purpose of personal transportation.  Usually the most common vehicle registration class. non-pass refers to all other classes (truck, trailer, motorcycle, taxi and so on).

prefix - A letter or group of letters which comes before the serial number on certain license plates.  If the letter(s) come after the serial number they are called a suffix.

pre-provincial - A owner-provided marker or tag displaying the registration number, before the province began officially issuing license plates.  It is most often made of leather, rubber or wood but occasionally made of tin or porcelain.

run - A group of license plates of the same type, usually covering a number sequential years.  It may also refer to a group of license plates, one from each province.  i.e. Ontario run (from 1911 to date) or motorcycle run (one from each province and territory).

tab - A piece of metal, usually containing the date, used to revalidate a license plate.  It is usually bolted over a corner, covering the existing date.  A date strip is an elongated tab, often containing the place name along with the date.

temporary - A license plate, usually made of cardboard, issued to a motorist for a short period of time typcially for a month or less.  This is often while the motorist waits for the license plates to be issued, or has to move a car from one location to another.

unissued - A license plate which never was given to a motorist for registration purposes.  These are often found in mint condition, in their original wrappers.  Such plates normally are destroyed, but they sometimes fall into the hands of collectors.