What does "patten" mean?
Any of various types of footwear with thick soles, often used to elevate the foot, especially wooden clogs.
Patten
/ˈpæt(ə)n/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of various types of footwear with thick soles, often used to elevate the foot, especially wooden clogs.
- Grammar: patten is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: clog, geta, sabot.
- Usage evidence: I went and told part of the excise money till twelve o’clock, and then called on my wife and took her to Mr. Pierces, she in the way being exceedingly troubled with a pair of new pattens, and I vexed to go so slow, it being late.
How to use "patten"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "patten" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "patten" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "patten" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "patten" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "patten" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "clog" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of various types of footwear with thick soles, often used to elevate the foot, especially wooden clogs.
"I went and told part of the excise money till twelve o’clock, and then called on my wife and took her to Mr. Pierces, she in the way being exceedingly troubled with a pair of new pattens, and I vexed to go so slow, it being late."
- 2 Obsolete form of paten. alt-of, obsolete
- 3 footwear usually with wooden soles wordnet
- 4 One of various wooden attachments used to lift a shoe above wet or muddy ground. historical
"They presented the most extraordinary and comic aspect imaginable, with their shaven heads and long beard; (the heads of all Mussulmen are shaved quite bare, with the exception of a tuft on the very top, which is left for the angel of the tomb on the day of judgment, say they, to grasp and carry them up to heaven by;) besides these, other objects are seen wrapped up in towels, with black grisled beards tickling their breasts, and tottering along on a high pair of pattens or rather stilts, at the imminent danger, as it appears, of breaking their necks."
- 5 A circular wooden plank attached to a horse's foot to prevent it from sinking into a bog while plowing. obsolete
"At and in the neighbourhood of North Meoks, near Ormskirk in Lancashire, there is a whole country of peat, and how deep this soil is God only knows, for the horses which plough thereon wear pattens to keep them from sinking to the bellies: here I was not long ago deluded, by my ignorance of the country and a team in pattens, to attempt riding over ploughed ground to inquire my way."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 An ice skate. British, dialectal
- 7 An iron hoop attached to a person's boot in cases of hip-joint disease. historical
- 8 The base of a pillar.
Verb
- 1 To go about wearing pattens. intransitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 An unincorporated community in Thomas County, Georgia, United States. countable, uncountable
- 3 A town, village, and census-designated place therein, in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I went and told part of the excise money till twelve o’clock, and then called on my wife and took her to Mr. Pierces, she in the way being exceedingly troubled with a pair of new pattens, and I vexed to go so slow, it being late."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "patten"?
Common synonyms include: clog, geta, sabot.
How do you use "patten" in a sentence?
I went and told part of the excise money till twelve o’clock, and then called on my wife and took her to Mr. Pierces, she in the way being exceedingly troubled with a pair of new pattens, and I vexed to go so slow, it being late.
How do you pronounce "patten"?
Pronounced /ˈpæt(ə)n/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English patyn, patin, pateyn, from Old French patin, from patte (“paw, hoof”), from Latin patta, of imitative origin.
Etymology 2
Variant forms.