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Pat

//pæt// adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Exactly suitable, fitting, apt; timely, convenient, opportune, ready for the occasion; especially of things spoken.

    "a pat expression"

  2. 2
    Upper-class, nobby. slang
  3. 3
    Trite, being superficially complete, lacking originality.

    "While most AIDS activists and researchers I spoke with agreed I shouldn't offer pat safe/unsafe categories, let me share some pretty widely accepted information."

Adjective
  1. 1
    exactly suited to the occasion wordnet
  2. 2
    having only superficial plausibility wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    Opportunely, in a timely or suitable way.

    "Now might I do it pat"

  2. 2
    Perfectly.

    "He has the routine down pat."

  3. 3
    Straight, right, exactly, precisely.

    "Wauwa Pease says of the strategic position of the Pirates in the dining room: “They have taken the table near the upper doorway so they can make a speedy exit in case their lair is raided.” Of course, the Wauwas stand pat in the middle of the dining room, having nothing to fear."

Adverb
  1. 1
    completely or perfectly wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A diminutive of the female given name Patricia.
  2. 2
    A surname from Khmer or Yucatec Maya.
  3. 3
    Abbreviation of Pointe-aux-Trembles: a municipality of Quebec, Canada. Quebec, abbreviation, alt-of
  4. 4
    A diminutive of the male given name Patrick.

    "One Nation, a new 501(c)4 linked to the Karl-Rove-backed American Crossroads super PAC, is spending more than $1.9 million on print, radio and digital ads highlighting the efforts of Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey to pass the “doc fix” legislation that realigned payments to Medicare providers with inflation."

Noun
  1. 1
    The sound of a light slap or tap with a soft flat object, especially of a footstep.

    "We heard a pat on the door."

  2. 2
    Clipping of patent. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
  3. 3
    An Irish person. offensive, possibly, slang

    "I'll do it, sir, by the honor of the Pats, just take your two good looking selves into the garden, […]"

  4. 4
    Initialism of point after touchdown (“extra point”). abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  5. 5
    a light touch or stroke wordnet
Show 11 more definitions
  1. 6
    A light tap or slap, especially with the hands.

    "Give Mary a pat on the shoulder to get her attention."

  2. 7
    Clipping of pattern. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping

    "Work in pat to next underarm marker, sm, place next st on holder[…]"

  3. 8
    Initialism of provincial achievement test. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  4. 9
    the sound made by a gentle blow wordnet
  5. 10
    A flattish lump of soft matter, especially butter or dung.

    "It looked like a tessellated work of pats of butter."

  6. 11
    Initialism of portable appliance testing. Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  7. 12
    Initialism of port address translation. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  8. 13
    Initialism of protocol associated type. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable

    "Protocols are abstract as they are, but with PATs, you’re making your protocols generic, which makes your code even more abstract and exponentially complex."

  9. 14
    Initialism of personal access token. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  10. 15
    Initialism of paroxysmal atrial tachycardia. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  11. 16
    Initialism of priority air traffic. US, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To (gently) tap the flat of one's hand on a person or thing.

    "To show affection, he decided he would pat the boy on the head."

  2. 2
    hit lightly wordnet
  3. 3
    To hit lightly and repeatedly with the flat of the hand to make smooth or flat

    "I patted the cookie dough into shape."

  4. 4
    pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin wordnet
  5. 5
    To stroke or fondle (an animal). Compare pet. Australia, New-Zealand, South-Africa, UK

    "Do you want to pat the cat?"

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    To gently rain.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English *patten, alteration (with loss of medial l) of platten, pletten (“to pat”), from Old English plættan (“to buffet, strike, slap, smack, give a sounding blow”), from Proto-Germanic *plat- (“to strike, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *blod-, *bled- (“to strike, beat”). Cognate with Middle Dutch platten, pletten (“to strike, bruise, crush, rub”), German platzen (“to split, burst, break up”), Bavarian patzen (“to pat”), Swedish plätta, pjätta (“to pat, tap”). For loss of l, compare patch for platch; pate for plate, etc. See plat.

Etymology 2

From Middle English *patten, alteration (with loss of medial l) of platten, pletten (“to pat”), from Old English plættan (“to buffet, strike, slap, smack, give a sounding blow”), from Proto-Germanic *plat- (“to strike, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *blod-, *bled- (“to strike, beat”). Cognate with Middle Dutch platten, pletten (“to strike, bruise, crush, rub”), German platzen (“to split, burst, break up”), Bavarian patzen (“to pat”), Swedish plätta, pjätta (“to pat, tap”). For loss of l, compare patch for platch; pate for plate, etc. See plat.

Etymology 3

From Middle English *patten, alteration (with loss of medial l) of platten, pletten (“to pat”), from Old English plættan (“to buffet, strike, slap, smack, give a sounding blow”), from Proto-Germanic *plat- (“to strike, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *blod-, *bled- (“to strike, beat”). Cognate with Middle Dutch platten, pletten (“to strike, bruise, crush, rub”), German platzen (“to split, burst, break up”), Bavarian patzen (“to pat”), Swedish plätta, pjätta (“to pat, tap”). For loss of l, compare patch for platch; pate for plate, etc. See plat.

Etymology 4

From Middle English *patten, alteration (with loss of medial l) of platten, pletten (“to pat”), from Old English plættan (“to buffet, strike, slap, smack, give a sounding blow”), from Proto-Germanic *plat- (“to strike, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *blod-, *bled- (“to strike, beat”). Cognate with Middle Dutch platten, pletten (“to strike, bruise, crush, rub”), German platzen (“to split, burst, break up”), Bavarian patzen (“to pat”), Swedish plätta, pjätta (“to pat, tap”). For loss of l, compare patch for platch; pate for plate, etc. See plat.

Etymology 5

Clipping of patrician.

Etymology 6

Various origins: * Borrowed from Yucatec Maya Pat. This surname is mostly found in Yucatán. * Borrowed from Khmer.

See also for "pat"

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