pat

See also: Pat, PAT, pAt, p3t, -pat, рат, päť, pa̍t, and pąt

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pæt/, [pʰæt], [pʰæt̚], [pʰæˀt̚], enPR: pǎt

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æt

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 *b(e)lad-, *b(e)led- (“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.

Noun

pat (plural pats)

1. The sound of a light slap or tap with a soft flat object, especially of a footstep
2. A light tap or slap, especially with the hands
3. A flattish lump of soft matter, especially butter or dung.
   • (Can we date this quote by Charles Dickens and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     It looked like a tessellated work of pats of butter.

Derived terms

• pat on the back (n.)
• patter
• pitter-pat: a diminutive of footfalls. "the pitter-pat of little feet running around the house."

Translations

sound of a light slap or tap

• Finnish: taputus (fi)
• Portuguese: batidinha f, estalo (pt)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: похло́пывание (ru) n (poxlópyvanije)

light tap or slap

• Finnish: taputus (fi)
• Hungarian: paskolás, lapogatás
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: batidinha f, tapinha (pt) m
• Swedish: klapp (sv) c

flattish lump of soft matter

• Finnish: nokare (fi)
• French: (of butter) motte (fr) f, (of dung) bouse (fr) f
• Hungarian: paca (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: panetto (it) m
• Norman: (of butter) palette f

See also

• one one's pat

Verb

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.

   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Chapter 22[1]

     He came round to each of us to pat and speak to us for the last time; his voice sounded very sad.

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

   I patted the cookie dough into shape.

   • 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Chapter 23

     Before they went to see Glinda, however, they were taken to a room of the Castle, where Dorothy washed her face and combed her hair, and the Lion shook the dust out of his mane, and the Scarecrow patted himself into his best shape, and the Woodman polished his tin and oiled his joints.

3. (UK, Australia, New Zealand) To stroke or fondle (an animal).

   Do you want to pat the cat?

4. To gently rain.

Derived terms

• pat down
• pat on the back (v.)

Translations

to tap gently

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拍 (zh) (pāi)

• Esperanto: tapeti
• Finnish: taputtaa (fi)
• French: tapoter (fr)
• German: tätscheln (de), stippen (de)
• Hungarian: paskol, lapogat
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 撫でる (ja) (なでる, naderu), 摩する (さする, sasuru)
• Maori: pōpō, hokomirimiri, taupaki
• Portuguese: dar um tapinha
• Russian: похло́пывать (ru) (poxlópyvatʹ), хло́пать (ru) (xlópatʹ), похло́пать (ru) (poxlópatʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: slìog
• Swedish: klappa (sv)

to hit to make smooth or flat

• Finnish: taputtaa (fi), taputella (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: paskol

to gently rain

• Finnish: lopottaa
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: szitál (hu)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} tapoter (fr)
• German: ^{(please verify)} tätscheln (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} తట్టు (te) (taṭṭu)

Adjective

pat (comparative more pat, superlative most pat)

1. Timely, suitable, apt, opportune, ready for the occasion; especially of things spoken.

   a pat expression

   • 1788, Cowper, Pity for Africans, p 18

     A story so pat, you may think it is coined.

2. Trite, being superficially complete, lacking originality.
   • 2010, New York Times, Editorial: Jobs and the Class of 2010, May 23.

     The pat answer is that college students should consider graduate school as a way to delay a job search until things turn around, and that more high school students should go to college to improve their prospects.

Derived terms

• pat hand

Adverb

pat (comparative more pat, superlative most pat)

1. Opportunely, in a timely or suitable way.
   • c. 1600, William Shakespeare, Hamlet III.iii

     Now might I do it pat

2. Perfectly.

   He has the routine down pat.

Derived terms

• pat in the middle

Translations

opportunely

• Finnish: sopivasti (fi), sattuvasti (fi), oikein (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

See also

• strike
• hit

• feel
• name

Etymology 2

Abbreviation.

Noun

pat (plural pats)

1. Patent.
2. (knitting) Pattern.
   • 2012, Kari Cornell, Knitting Sweaters from around the World (page 52)

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

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pat/ (Gheg, Arbëreshë)

Participle

1. participle of kam (present)
2. participle of pata (aorist)

Related terms

• pasuri
• kam
• pata

---

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• patu
• pãtsãscu

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *pat(i)ō, from Latin patior. Compare Daco-Romanian păți.

Verb

pat (past participle pãtsitã)

1. I 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

1. four

---

Bariai

Noun

pat

1. stone

References

• Steve Gallagher, Peirce Baehr, Bariai Grammar Sketch (2005)

---

Bintulu

Etymology

From Proto-North Sarawak *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Bunun

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Central Melanau

Central Melanau cardinal numbers

<  3	4	5  >
Cardinal : pat

Etymology

From Proto-North Sarawak *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Chinese

For pronunciation and definitions of pat – see 捌. (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 捌).

---

Chuukese

Adjective

pat

1. cold

---

Czech

Etymology

Via German Patt and French pat, from Italian patta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pat/

Noun

1. (chess) stalemate
2. stalemate (blocked situation)

Noun

pat f

1. genitive plural of pata

Further reading

• Template:R:PSJC
• Template:R:SSJC

---

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French pat, from Italian patta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɑt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pat
• Rhymes: -ɑt

Noun

pat n (uncountable)

1. (chess) tie, draw, stalemate

Derived terms

• patstelling

---

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian patta (“tie, draw”), influenced by mat (“mate”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pat/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

pat m (plural pats)

1. (chess) stalemate

Descendants

• Greek: πατ n (pat)

Further reading

• “pat”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

---

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʰaːt/
• Rhymes: -aːt

Noun

pat n (genitive singular pats, no plural)

1. gesticulation, gesture

Declension

declension of pat

n-s	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	pat	patið
accusative	pat	patið
dative	pati	patinu
genitive	pats	patsins

Related terms

• pata

Anagrams

• apt
• tap

---

Indonesian

Indonesian cardinal numbers

<  3	4	5  >
Cardinal : pat

Etymology

From Malay pat, shortened form of empat, from Proto-Malayic *əmpat, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *əmpat, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *əmpat, from Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi *əmpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. Alternative form of empat

---

Javanese

Alternative forms

• papat

Etymology

From Old Javanese pat, from Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi *əmpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Lamaholot

Etymology

From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Latvian

Particle

pat

1. even

---

Livonian

Etymology

Akin to Estonian patt.

Noun

pat

1. sin

---

Maguindanao

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Maia

Noun

pat

1. stone

---

Malay

Malay cardinal numbers

<  3	4	5  >
Cardinal : pat

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-Sunda-Sulawesi *əmpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pat/
• Rhymes: -pat, -at

Numeral

pat (Jawi spelling ڤت)

1. Alternative form of empat

Descendants

• Indonesian: pat

---

Manggarai

Etymology

From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Maranao

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Marshallese

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *pasa.

Pronunciation

• (phonetic) IPA^(key): [pʲɑtˠ]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /pʲætˠ/
• Bender phonemes: {pat}

Noun

pat

1. swamp

References

• Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

---

Old Javanese

Etymology

From Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi *əmpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

Descendants

• Javanese: pat / papat

---

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pat/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

1. (chess) stalemate

Declension

Declension of pat

	singular	plural
nominative	pat	paty
genitive	pata	patów
dative	patowi	patom
accusative	pata	paty
instrumental	patem	patami
locative	pacie	patach
vocative	pacie	paty

---

Puyuma

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Rejang Kayan

Etymology

From Proto-North Sarawak *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Rembong

Etymology

From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral

pat

1. four

---

Romanian

Etymology

Often thought to be from Greek πάτος (pátos, “path”), but also possibly from Latin pactum (“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): /pat/

Noun

pat n (plural paturi)

1. bed

Declension

Declension of pat

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) pat	patul	(niște) paturi	paturile
genitive/dative	(unui) pat	patului	(unor) paturi	paturilor
vocative	patule		paturilor

Related terms

• pătură

References

• pat in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

---

Slovak

Etymology

Borrowed from French pat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpat/

Noun

pat m (genitive singular patu, nominative plural paty, genitive plural patov, declension pattern of dub)

1. (chess) stalemate

Declension

Declension of pat

	singular	plural
nominative	pat	paty
genitive	patu	patov
dative	patu	patom
accusative	pat	paty
locative	pate	patoch
instrumental	patom	patmi

Derived terms

• patový -á -é

Further reading

• “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

---

Tocharian B

Noun

pat

1. stupa

---

Volapük

Etymology

From French particularité.

Noun

pat (nominative plural pats)

1. particularity

Declension

declension of pat

	singular	plural
nominative	pat	pats
genitive	pata	patas
dative	pate	pates
accusative	pati	patis
vocative 1	o pat!	o pats!
predicative 2	patu	patus

• ¹ status as a case is disputed
• ² in later, non-classical Volapük only