From Middle English*patten, alteration (with loss of medial l) of platten, pletten(“to pat”), from Old Englishplættan(“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 Dutchplatten, pletten(“to strike, bruise, crush, rub”), Germanplatzen(“to split, burst, break up”), Bavarianpatzen(“to pat”), Swedishplätta, pjätta(“to pat, tap”). For loss of l, compare patch for platch; pate for plate, etc. See plat.
Noun
pat (pluralpats)
The sound of a light slap or tap with a soft flat object, especially of a footstep
A light tap or slap, especially with the hands
A flattish lump of soft matter, especially butter or dung.
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
pat (third-person singular simple presentpats, present participlepatting, simple past and past participlepatted)
To (gently) tap the flat of one's hand on a person or thing.
To hit lightly and repeatedly with the flat of the hand to make smooth or flat
(UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) To stroke or fondle (an animal). Compare pet.
To gently rain.
Derived terms
pat down
pat on the back(verb)
Translations
Adjective
pat (comparativemore pat, superlativemost pat)
Exactly suitable, fitting, apt; timely, convenient, opportune, ready for the occasion; especially of things spoken.
Trite, being superficially complete, lacking originality.
Synonyms:see Thesaurus:hackneyed
Derived terms
Translations
Adverb
pat (comparativemore pat, superlativemost pat)
Opportunely, in a timely or suitable way.
Perfectly.
Translations
See also
Etymology 2
Noun
pat (pluralpats)
Clipping of patent.
(knitting)Clipping of pattern.
Etymology 3
Clipping of patrician.
Adjective
pat (comparativemore pat, superlativemost pat)
(slang) Upper-class, nobby.
See also
Further reading
“pat”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
“pat”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
“pat”, in The Century Dictionary[…], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Jonathon Green (2024) “pat adj.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang
Anagrams
APT, ATP, PTA, TAP, TPA, ap't, apt, apt., tap
Albanian
Alternative forms
patur
pasë
pasur
Etymology
Alternative variant of participles patur, pasë, pasur. See pata(“I had”) (aorist form of kam(“I have”)) for more.
to experience, undergo (something bad, unpleasant, unexpected, etc.)
Related terms
pãtsiri / pãtsire
pãtsit
Bakung
Etymology
From Proto-North Sarawak*əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Bariai
Noun
pat
stone
References
Steve Gallagher, Peirce Baehr, Bariai Grammar Sketch (2005)
Belait
Etymology
From Proto-North Sarawak*əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Bintulu
Etymology
From Proto-North Sarawak*əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Bunun
Etymology
From Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Central Melanau
Etymology
From Proto-North Sarawak*əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Chinese
Etymology 1
Pronunciation
Classifier
pat
(Hong Kong Cantonese)Alternative form of 坺(pet6)
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
Noun
pat
(Hong Kong Cantonese)Alternative form of 噼(pet1)
Chuj
Noun
pat
house
Chuukese
Adjective
pat
cold
Czech
Pronunciation
IPA(key): [ˈpat]
Etymology 1
Via GermanPatt and Frenchpat, from Italianpatta.
Noun
patm inan
(chess) stalemate
stalemate (blocked situation)
Declension
Etymology 2
Noun
patf
genitive plural of pata
References
Further reading
pat in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
pat in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
Danish
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /pat/, [ˈpʰad̥]
Noun
patc
stalemate
alternative form of patte(“teat”)
Verb
pat
imperative of patte(“to suck”)
Dutch
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /pɑt/
Hyphenation: pat
Rhymes: -ɑt
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Frenchpat, from Italianpatta.
Noun
patn (uncountable)
(chess)tie, draw, stalemate
Derived terms
patstelling
Etymology 2
Noun
patc (pluralpatten, diminutivepatjen)
(cycling) The slot in the frame that accepts the axle of the wheel; dropout.
Eskayan
Numeral
pat
four
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Italianpatta(“tie, draw”), influenced by mat(“mate”).
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /pat/
Noun
patm (pluralpats)
(chess) stalemate
Descendants
→ German: Patt
→ Greek: πατ(pat)
→ Polish: pat
→ Serbo-Croatian: pat
→ Slovak: pat
Further reading
“pat”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé[Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Haitian Creole
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /pat/
Etymology 1
From Frenchpâte.
Noun
pat
dough
paste
shoe polish
toothpaste
Etymology 2
Contraction
pat
Contraction of pa te.
Li pat di m sa. ― She didn't tell me that.
References
Targète, Jean and Urciolo, Raphael G. Haitian Creole-English dictionary (1993; →ISBN)
Hokkien
Icelandic
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /pʰaːt/
Rhymes: -aːt
Noun
patn (genitive singularpats, no plural)
gesticulation, gesture
Declension
Related terms
pata
Anagrams
apt
tap
Indonesian
Numeral
pat
Clipping of empat.
Javanese
Alternative forms
papat
Etymology
From Old Javanesepat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Krio
Etymology
From Englishpart.
Noun
pat
part
Lamaholot
Etymology
From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Latin
Verb
pāt
third-person singular perfect active indicative of pāscō
Latvian
Particle
pat
even
Lithuanian
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Particle
pàt(indeclinable)
very, right (to emphasize location)
čia pat ― right here
iš pat dugno ― from the very bottom
very, right (to emphasize time)
dabar pat ― right now
iki pat saulėlydžio ― right until sunset
very, same (to emphasize sameness)
tas pat žmogus ― the very person
tokia pat spalva ― the same color (literally, “just such a color”)
References
Further reading
“pat”, in Lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of the Lithuanian language], lkz.lt, 1941–2024
“pat”, in Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of contemporary Lithuanian], ekalba.lt, 1954–2024
Livonian
Etymology
From Proto-Finnic*patto. Cognates include Estonianpatt.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ˈpɑt/
Noun
pat
sin
References
Lauri Kettunen (1938) Livisches Wörterbuch mit grammatischer Einleitung, Helsinki, page 277
Maguindanao
Etymology
From Proto-Philippine*əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Maia
Noun
pat
stone
Malay
Alternative forms
empat
ĕmpat
ampat
ămpat
امڤت
ڤت
Etymology
Shortened form of empat, from Proto-Malayic*əmpat, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic*əmpat, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan*əmpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /pat/
Rhymes: -pat, -at
Numeral
pat (Jawi spellingڤت)
Alternative form of empat
Descendants
Manggarai
Etymology
From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Maranao
Etymology
Akin to Maguindanaoupat.
Numeral
pat
four
Marshallese
Etymology
From Proto-Micronesian *pasa, from Proto-Oceanic*basa, an alternative form of Proto-Oceanic*pasa.
Pronunciation
(phonetic) IPA(key): [pʲɑtˠ]
(phonemic) IPA(key): /pʲætˠ/
Bender phonemes: {pat}
Noun
pat
swamp
References
Marshallese–English Online Dictionary
Murik (New Guinea)
Numeral
pat
four
Old Javanese
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Descendants
Polish
Etymology
Borrowed from Frenchpat, from Italianpatta, probably from Latinpacta, plural of pactum.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /pat/
Rhymes: -at
Syllabification: pat
Homophone: pad
Noun
patm animal (diminutivepacik)
(chess) stalemate
(figuratively, by extension) stalemate (any situation that has no obvious possible movement, but does not involve any personal loss)
Declension
Derived terms
Further reading
pat in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
pat in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Puyuma
Etymology
From Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Rejang Kayan
Etymology
From Proto-North Sarawak*əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Rembong
Etymology
From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*əpat, from Proto-Austronesian*Səpat.
Numeral
pat
four
Romanian
Etymology
Often thought to be from Greekπάτος(pátos, “path”), but also possibly from Latinpactum(“fastened, fixed, planted”), with the loss of the -p- in the normal result, *papt, explicable through dissimilation from the initial consonant; compare păta, boteza.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ˈpat/
Rhymes: -at
Noun
patn (pluralpaturi)
bed
Declension
Related terms
pătură
References
References
pat in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)
“pat”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2024
Toba Batak
Noun
pat
foot
References
Warneck, J. (1906). Tobabataksch-Deutsches Wörterbuch. Batavia: Landsdrukkerij, p. 146.