patent

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pat=ent

CIDE DICTIONARY

patent, a. [L. patens, -entis, p. pr. of patere to be open: cf. F. patent. Cf. Fathom.].

•  Open to public perusal; -- said of a document conferring some right or privilege; as, letters patent. See Letters patent, under 3d Letter.  [1913 Webster]

  "(Oftener pronounced pent in this sense)"  [1913 Webster]

  "He had received instructions, both patent and secret."  [1913 Webster]
•  Appropriated or protected by letters patent; secured by official authority to the exclusive possession, control, and disposal of some person or party; patented; as, a patent right; patent medicines.  [1913 Webster]
•  Spreading; forming a nearly right angle with the steam or branch; as, a patent leaf.  [1913 Webster]

  "Madder . . . in King Charles the First's time, was made a patent commodity."  [1913 Webster]

Patent leather, a varnished or lacquered leather, used for boots and shoes, and in carriage and harness work. -- Patent office, a government bureau for the examination of inventions and the granting of patents. -- Patent right. (a) The exclusive right to an invention, and the control of its manufacture. (b) (Law) The right, granted by the sovereign, of exclusive control of some business of manufacture, or of the sale of certain articles, or of certain offices or prerogatives. -- Patent rolls, the registers, or records, of patents.

patent, n. [Cf. F. patente. See Patent, a.].

•  A letter patent, or letters patent; an official document, issued by a sovereign power, conferring a right or privilege on some person or party.  [1913 Webster]

  " In the United States, by the act of 1870, patents for inventions are issued for seventeen years, without the privilege of renewal except by act of Congress."  [1913 Webster]

  "Four other gentlemen of quality remained mentioned in that patent."  [1913 Webster]
•  The right or privilege conferred by such a document; hence, figuratively, a right, privilege, or license of the nature of a patent.  [1913 Webster]

  "If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her patent to offend."  [1913 Webster]

patent, v. t. 

 To grant by patent; to make the subject of a patent; to secure or protect by patent; as, to patent an invention; to patent public lands.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

patent, n., adj., & v.
--n.
1 a government authority to an individual or organization conferring a right or title, esp. the sole right to make or use or sell some invention.
2 a document granting this authority.
3 an invention or process protected by it.
--adj.
1 obvious, plain.
2 conferred or protected by patent.
3 a made and marketed under a patent; proprietary. b to which one has a proprietary claim.
4 such as might be patented; ingenious, well-contrived.
5 (of an opening etc.) allowing free passage.
--v.tr. obtain a patent for (an invention).

Idiom

letters patent an open document from a sovereign or government conferring a patent or other right. patent leather leather with a glossy varnished surface. patent medicine medicine made and marketed under a patent and available without prescription. patent office an office from which patents are issued. Patent Roll (in the UK) a list of patents issued in a year.

Derivative

patency n. patentable adj. patently adv. (in sense 1 of adj.).

Etymology

ME f. OF patent and L patere lie open

THESAURUS

patent

OK, admission, aegis, allowance, apparent, arm, arm guard, armor, authorize, backstop, blank check, blatant, bless, bound, brevet, buffer, bulwark, bumper, carte blanche, certificate, certificate of invention, certify, champion, charter, clean-cut, clear, clear as crystal, clear-cut, cloak, compass about, concession, condition, confine, consent, conserve, conspicuous, contain, contraceptive, control, copyright, cover, crash helmet, crystal-clear, cushion, dashboard, defend, defined, definite, diploma, diplomatic immunity, discernible, discharge, discipline, dispensation, distinct, dodger, draw the line, empower, enable, enfranchise, ensure, entitle, evident, exception, exemption, explicit, express, face mask, favor, fence, fend, fender, finger guard, flagrant, foot guard, franchise, freedom, fuse, give official sanction, give power, glaring, goggles, governor, grant, gross, guarantee, guard, guardrail, hand guard, handrail, harbor, hard hat, haven, hedge about, helmet, immunity, in focus, indisputable, indubitable, indulgence, insulation, insure, interlock, keep, keep alive, keep from harm, keep intact, keep inviolate, keep safe, keep up, knee guard, knuckle guard, laminated glass, leave, legalize, legislative immunity, legitimize, letters patent, liberty, license, life preserver, lifeline, lightning conductor, lightning rod, limit, maintain, make safe, manifest, mask, moderate, mudguard, narrow, nestle, nose guard, not destroy, not endanger, not expend, not use up, not waste, noticeable, observable, obvious, okay, open-and-shut, pad, padding, palladium, palpable, perceivable, perceptible, permission, permission to enter, permit, perspicuous, physical, pilot, plain, plain as day, police, preserve, preventive, privilege, prominent, pronounced, prophylactic, protect, protective clothing, protective umbrella, qualify, rank, ratify, register, registered trademark, release, restrain, restrict, ride shotgun for, royal grant, safeguard, safety, safety glass, safety plug, safety rail, safety shoes, safety switch, safety valve, sanction, save, scant, screen, seat belt, secure, seeable, self-evident, self-explaining, self-explanatory, service mark, shelter, shield, shin guard, shroud, spare, special favor, special permission, specialize, staring, stint, straightforward, straiten, sun helmet, support, sustain, tangible, ticket, ticket of admission, to be seen, trade name, trademark, transparent, umbrella, unclosed, underwrite, unequivocal, unmistakable, unobstructed, uphold, validate, visible, vouchsafement, waiver, warrant, well-defined, well-marked, well-pronounced, well-resolved, windscreen, windshield

ROGET THESAURUS

patent

Permission

N permission, leave, allowance, sufferance, tolerance, toleration, liberty, law, license, concession, grace, indulgence, favor, dispensation, exemption, release, connivance, vouchsafement, authorization, warranty, accordance, admission, permit, warrant, brevet, precept, sanction, authority, firman, hukm, pass, passport, furlough, license, carte blanche, ticket of leave, grant, charter, patent, letters patent, permitting, permissive, indulgent, permitted, patent, chartered, permissible, allowable, lawful, legitimate, legal, legalized, licit, unforbid, unforbidden, unconditional, by leave, with leave, on leave, speciali gratia, under favor of, pace, ad libitum, by all means, yes, avec permissin, brevet d'invention, permission, leave, allowance, sufferance, tolerance, toleration, liberty, law, license, concession, grace, indulgence, favor, dispensation, exemption, release, connivance, vouchsafement, authorization, warranty, accordance, admission, permit, warrant, brevet, precept, sanction, authority, firman, hukm, pass, passport, furlough, license, carte blanche, ticket of leave, grant, charter, patent, letters patent, permitting, permissive, indulgent, permitted, patent, chartered, permissible, allowable, lawful, legitimate, legal, legalized, licit, unforbid, unforbidden, unconditional, by leave, with leave, on leave, speciali gratia, under favor of, pace, ad libitum, by all means, yes, avec permissin, brevet d'invention.

Property

N property, possession, suum cuique, meum et tuum, ownership, proprietorship, lordship, seignority, empire, interest, stake, estate, right, title, claim, demand, holding, tenure, vested interest, contingent interest, beneficial interest, equitable interest, use, trust, benefit, legal estate, equitable estate, seizin, seisin, absolute interest, paramount estate, freehold, fee tail, fee simple, estate in fee, estate in tail, estate tail, estate in tail male, estate in tail female, estate in tail general, limitation, term, lease, settlement, strict settlement, particular estate, estate for life, estate for years, estate pur autre vie, remainder, reversion, expectancy, possibility, dower, dowry, jointure, appanage, inheritance, heritage, patrimony, alimony, legacy, Falcidian law, paternal estate, thirds, assets, belongings, means, resources, circumstances, wealth, money, what one is worth, what one will cut up for, estate and effects, landed property, landed real estate property, realty, land, lands, tenements, hereditaments, corporeal hereditaments, incorporeal hereditaments, acres, ground, acquest, messuage, toft, territory, state, kingdom, principality, realm, empire, protectorate, sphere of influence, manor, honor, domain, demesne, farm, plantation, hacienda, allodium, fief, fieff, feoff, feud, zemindary, dependency, arado, merestead, ranch, free lease-holds, copy lease-holds, folkland, chattels real, fixtures, plant, heirloom, easement, right of common, right of user, personal property, personal estate, personal effects, personalty, chattels, goods, effects, movables, stock, stock in trade, things, traps, rattletraps, paraphernalia, equipage, parcels, appurtenances, impedimenta, luggage, baggage, bag and baggage, pelf, cargo, lading, rent roll, income, maul and wedges, patent, copyright, chose in action, credit, debt, one's own, landed, predial, manorial, allodial, free lease-hold, copy lease-hold, feudal, feodal, to one's credit, to one's account, to the good, to one and his heirs for ever, to one and the heirs of his body, to one and his heirs and assigns, to one and his executors administrators and assign.

Opening

N opening, hole, foramen, puncture, perforation, fontanel, transforation, pinhole, keyhole, loophole, porthole, peephole, mousehole, pigeonhole, eye of a needle, eyelet, slot, opening, aperture, apertness, hiation, yawning, oscitancy, dehiscence, patefaction, pandiculation, chasm, embrasure, window, casement, abatjour, light, sky light, fan light, lattice, bay window, bow window, oriel, dormer, lantern, outlet, inlet, vent, vomitory, embouchure, orifice, mouth, sucker, muzzle, throat, gullet, weasand, wizen, nozzle, placket, portal, porch, gate, ostiary, postern, wicket, trapdoor, hatch, door, arcade, cellarway, driveway, gateway, doorway, hatchway, gangway, lich gate, way, path, thoroughfare, channel, passage, passageway, tube, pipe, water pipe, air pipe, vessel, tubule, canal, gut, fistula, adjutage, ajutage, ostium, smokestack, chimney, flue, tap, funnel, gully, tunnel, main, mine, pit, adit, shaft, gallery, alley, aisle, glade, vista, bore, caliber, pore, blind orifice, fulgurite, thundertube, porousness, porosity, sieve, cullender, colander, cribble, riddle, screen, honeycomb, apertion, perforation, piercing, terebration, empalement, pertusion, puncture, acupuncture, penetration, key, opener, master key, password, combination, passe- partout, open, perforated, perforate, wide open, ajar, unclosed, unstopped, oscitant, gaping, yawning, patent, tubular, cannular, fistulous, pervious, permeable, foraminous, vesicular, vasicular, porous, follicular, cribriform, honeycombed, infundibular, riddled, tubulous, tubulated, piped, tubate, opening, aperient, Int, open sesame!.

Manifestation

N manifestation, plainness, plain speaking, expression, showing, exposition, demonstration, exhibition, production, display, show, showing off, premonstration, exhibit, indication, publicity, disclosure, openness panchement, evidence, manifest, apparent, salient, striking, demonstrative, prominent, in the foreground, notable, pronounced, flagrant, notorious, arrant, stark staring, unshaded, glaring, defined, definite, distinct, conspicuous, obvious, evident, unmistakable, indubitable, not to be mistaken, palpable, self-evident, autoptical, intelligible, plain, clear, clear as day, clear as daylight, clear as noonday, plain as a pike staff, plain as the sun at noon-day, plain as the nose on one's face, plain as the way to parish church, explicit, overt, patent, express, ostensible, open, open as day, naked, bare, literal, downright, undisguised, exoteric, unreserved, frank, plain-spoken, candid (veracious), barefaced, manifested, disclosed, capable of being shown, producible, inconcealable, unconcealable, no secret, manifestly, openly, before one's eyes, under one's nose, to one's face, face to face, above board, cartes sur table, on the stage, in open court, in the open streets, in market overt, in the face of day, face of heaven, in broad daylight, in open daylight, without reserve, at first blush, prima facie, on the face of, in set terms, cela saute aux yeux, he that runs may read, you can see it with half an eye, it needs no ghost to tell us, the meaning lies on the surface, cela va sans dire, res ipsa loquitur, clothing the palpable and familiar, fari quae sentiat, volto sciolto i pensieri stretti, you don't need a weatherman to know which way the.