Definition of PAT

pat

Plural: pats

Noun

  • the sound made by a gentle blow
  • a light touch or stroke
  • 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.
  • Clipping of patent.
  • Clipping of pattern.

Verb

Verb Forms: patted, patting, pats

  • To touch lightly with a flat hand or object.
  • pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
  • hit lightly
    • "pat him on the shoulder"
  • 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
  • To stroke or fondle (an animal). Compare pet.
  • To gently rain.

Adjective Satellite

  • having only superficial plausibility
  • exactly suited to the occasion
    • "a pat reply"

Adverb

  • completely or perfectly
    • "he has the lesson pat"
    • "had the system down pat"

Adj

  • Exactly suitable, fitting, apt; timely, convenient, opportune, ready for the occasion; especially of things spoken.
  • Trite, being superficially complete, lacking originality.
  • Upper-class, nobby.

Adv

  • Opportunely, in a timely or suitable way.
  • Perfectly.
  • Straight, right, exactly, precisely.

Examples

  • a pat expression
  • Do you want to pat the cat?
  • Give Mary a pat on the shoulder to get her attention.
  • He has the routine down pat.
  • He would gently PAT the board after a particularly satisfying Words With Friends play.
  • I patted the cookie dough into shape.
  • To show affection, he decided he would pat the boy on the head.
  • We heard a pat on the door.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Synonyms

chuck, dab, glib, rap, slick, tap, banal, bromidic, clichéd, commonplace, cookie-cutter, corny, dog-eared, everyday, hackneyed, hoary, meh, overdone, pat, played out, prosaic, shopworn, stale, stock, threadbare, timeworn, tired, trite, unoriginal, vapid, warmed-over, well-worn

Scrabble Score: 5

pat: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
pat: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
pat: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 6

pat: valid Words With Friends Word