Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PATCH'WORK, n.

1. Work composed of pieces of various figures sewed together. – Swift.
2. Work composed of pieces clumsily put together. Swift.

PATE, n. [Qa. Ir. bathas, a top; or Sp. and It. patena.]

1. The head, or rather the top of the head; applied to persons, it is now used in contempt or ridicule.
2. The skin of a calf's head.
3. In fortification, a kind of platform resembling what is called a horse-shoe. – Encyc.

PAT'ED, a.

In composition, having a pate; as, long-pated, cunning; shallow-pated, having weak intellect.

PA-TEE', or PAT-TEE', n.

In heraldry, a cross small in the center, and widening to the extremities which are broad. Encyc.

PAT-E-FAC'TION, n. [L. patefactio; pateo, to open, and facio, to make.]

The act of opening or manifesting; open declaration. – Pearson.

PA-TEL'LA, n. [L.]

1. The knee-pan or cap of the knee.
2. A univalvular shell.
3. A small vase.

PA-TEL'LI-FORM, a. [L. patella, a dish, and form.]

Of the form of a dish or saucer. – Barton.

PAT'EL-LITE, n.

Fossil remains of the patella, a shell.

PAT'EN, or PAT'IN, n. [L. patina.]

1. A plate. [Not used.] – Shak.
2. In the Romish church, the cover of the chalice, used for holding particles of the host. – Bp. Bedell.

PAT'ENT, a. [Fr. from L. patens, from pateo, to open; Gr. πεταω, Ch. פסה, to open, dilate or expand; Syr. and Sam. id. Class Bd, No. 63, 64, 65.]

1. Open; spread; expanded.
2. In botany, spreading; forming an acute angle nearly approaching to a right angle with the stem or branch; as, a patent leaf. – Martyn.
3. Open to the perusal of all; as, letters patent. [See Letter.]
4. Appropriated by letters patent. Madder … in the time of Charles the First, was made a patent commodity. – Mortimer.
5. Apparent; conspicuous. – Horsley.

PAT'ENT, n.

A writing given by the proper authority and duly authenticated, granting a privilege to some person or persons. By patent, or letters patent, that is, open letters, the king of Great Britain grants lands, honors and franchises.

PAT'ENT, v.t.

1. To grant by patent.
2. To secure the exclusive right of a thing to a person; as, to patent an invention or an original work to the author.

PAT'ENT-ED, pp.

Granted by patent; secured by patent or by law as an exclusive privilege.

PAT-ENT-EE', n.

One to whom a grant is made or a privilege secured by patent or by law.

PAT'ENT-ING, ppr.

Granting by patent; securing as a privilege.

PAT'ENT-OF-FICE, n.

An office for the granting of patents for inventions.

PAT-ENT-ROLLS', n.

The records or registers of patents.

PA-TERN'AL, a. [Fr. paternel; L. paternus, from pater, father.]

1. Pertaining to a father; fatherly; as, paternal care or affection; paternal favor or admonition.
2. Derived from the father; hereditary; as, a paternal estate. – Dryden. Addison.

PA-TERN'AL-LY, adv.

In a fatherly manner.

PA-TERN'I-TY, n. [Fr. paternité; It. paternità.]

Fathership; the relation of a father. The world, while it had scarcity of people, underwent no other dominion than paternity and eldership. – Ralegh.

PA'TER-NOS-TER, n. [L. our father.]

The Lord's prayer.

PATER-PATRIAE, n. [Pater patriæ; L.]

The father of his country.

PATH, n. [plur. paths. Sax. path, pæth, or paad, paat; D. pad; G. pfad; Sans. patha; Gr. πατος, from πατεω, to tread. The sense of path is beaten, trod; but the primary sense of treading, stepping, is probably to open, stretch, extend.]

1. A way beaten or trodden by the feet of man or beast, or made hard by wheels; that part of a highway on which animals or carriages ordinarily pass; applied to the ground only, and never to a pared street in a city.
2. Any narrow way beaten by the foot.
3. The way, course or track where a body moves in the atmosphere or in space; as, the path of a planet or comet; the path of a meteor.
4. A way or passage.
5. Course of life. He marketh all my paths. – Job xxxiii.
6. Precepts; rules prescribed. Uphold my goings in thy paths. – Ps. xvii.
7. Course of providential dealings; moral government. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant. – Ps. xxv.

PATH, v.i.

To walk abroad. – Shak.

PATH, v.t. [Sax. peththian.]

1. To make a path by treading; to beat a path, as in snow. United States.
2. To push forward; to cause to go; to make way for. – Shak.