pate

See also Pate, paté, pâte, pâté, and patë

English

Etymology 1

c.1200, perhaps a shortened form of Old French patene or Medieval Latin patena, both from Latin patina (“pan, dish”)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪt

Noun

pate (plural pates)

1. (somewhat archaic) The head, particularly the top or crown.

   He had a shiny, bald pate.

2. (archaic) Wit, cleverness, cognitive abilities.
   • 1598, Love's Labour's Lost, by Shakespeare

     I am resolved; 'tis but a three years' fast:

     The mind shall banquet, though the body pine:

     Fat paunches have lean pates, and dainty bits

     Make rich the ribs, but bankrupt quite the wits.

   • 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 4 scene 1

     I thank thee for that jest: here's a garment

     for't: wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of

     this country: 'Steal by line and level,' is an excellent

     pass of pate: there's another garment for't.

Derived terms

• pated

See also

• capital

Translations

top of the head

• Finnish: päälaki (fi)
• Russian: макушка (ru) f (makuška)

• Scottish Gaelic: claigeann (gd) m

wit, cleverness

• Russian: ум (ru) (um) m , рассудок (ru) (rassúdok) m 

Etymology 2

c.1700, French pâté, from Old French paste, pastée.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpæt.eɪ/, /pæˈteɪ/
• Rhymes: -æteɪ, Rhymes: -eɪ

Noun

pate (plural pates)

1. Alternative spelling of pâté. (finely-ground paste of meat, fish, etc.)
2. The interior body, or non-rind portion of cheese, described by its texture, density, and color.

Anagrams

• peat
• Peta, PETA
• tape

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Danish

Alternative forms

• paté

Etymology

From French pâté.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pate/, [pʰaˈtˢe]

Noun

pate c (singular definite pateen, plural indefinite pateer)

1. pâté

Inflection

    Inflection of pate

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative, dative and accusative	pate	pateen	pateer	pateerne
genitive	pates	pateens	pateers	pateernes

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Latin

Verb

patē

1. second-person singular present active imperative of pateō