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Stop improving coat with e.g. silver and gold (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

plateau

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'stop improving coat with e g' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'silver and gold' is the wordplay.
'silver' becomes 'plate' (I've seen this before).
'and' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'gold' becomes 'au' (Au is the chemical symbol for gold).
'plate'+'au'='PLATEAU'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for plateau that I've seen before include "somewhere flatter?" , "Level outcrop of land" , "Area of level high ground" , "Area of flat, high ground" , "Flat-topped upland" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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