1019
patrimony
(=the right to make and sell a new invention). There is a similar department in the US called the Patent and Trademark Office.
pa·ter /'peɪtə/ n BrE (sometimes cap.) father: Good morning, pater. The word was formerly used by young UPPER-CLASS people, especially by boys at PUBLIC SCHOOL; now rarely used except humorously. ➔ compare MATER
pa·ter·fa·mil·i·as /ˌpeɪtəfə'mɪliəs||ˌpɑːtər'fæ-;ˌmiːliːəs/ n pl patresfamilias /ˌpɑːtreɪz-/ fml or pomp (a person acting as) the father or male head of a family
pa·ter·nal /pə'tɜːnəl||-ɜːr-/ adj 1 of, like, or natural to a father: paternal love ➔ compare FATHERLY 2 derog protecting people and satisfying their needs but without allowing them any freedom or responsibility: The employees resented the bosses' paternal attitude. 3 [A] related through the father's side of the family: my paternal grandmother (=my father's mother) ➔ compare MATERNAL ➞ly adv
pa·ter·nal·ism /pə'tɜːnəlɪzəm||-ɜːr-/ n [U] derog a PATERNAL way of controlling people, managing a company etc ➞ist n ➞istic /pəˌtɜːnə'lɪstɪk◂||-ːr-/ adj istically /kli/ adv
pa·ter·ni·ty /pə'tɜːnɪti||-ɜːr-/ n [U] 1 especially law origin from the male parent: Tests are being made to establish the paternity of the child. (=to find out who its father is) 2 fml fatherhood: Paternity suits you! ➔ compare MATERNITY
pa'ternity leave n [U] time off work for the father of a new baby to help with its care. Very few British or American employers give paternity leave. ➔ compare MATERNITY LEAVE
pat·er·nos·ter /ˌpætə'nɒstə||-tər'nɑː-/ n (usually cap.) (in the Christian religion) the LORD'S PRAYER, especially in Latin (from the Latin for the first two words of the prayer which begins 'Our Father ...')
path /pɑːθ||pæθ/ n pl paths /pɑːðz||pæðz/ 1 also pathway — a track or way made by or for people walking over the ground: They strolled along/down the garden path. | Walk on the path, not on the grass/in the road. | (fig.) Hard work is the pathway to success. | (fig.) I will withdraw my objections, because I don't want to stand in your path. (=block your possible success) 2 [(through)] an open space made to allow forward movement: They used axes to clear a path through the forest. 3 [(of)] a line along which something moves: The path of an arrow is a curve. ➔ see also beat a path (BEAT¹), lead someone up the garden path (LEAD¹); see WAY (USAGE) ➞less adj
Pa·than /pə'tɑːn/ n a member of a group of Muslim people from Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The Pathans were known during the British Empire as being very brave fighters. ➞Pathan adj
pa·thet·ic /pə'θetɪk/ adj 1 causing a feeling of pity or sorrow; full of PATHOS: the little dog's pathetic cries of pain 2 derog hopelessly unsuccessful; useless: my pathetic attempts to learn French | He's a pathetic actor. ➞ally /kli/ adv: pathetically inadequate
pa,thetic 'fallacy n [the S] tech (especially in a work of literature) the describing of non-living things, such as rocks, the sea, the weather etc, as if they were human, e.g. by calling them 'cruel', 'happy' etc
path·find·er /'pɑːθfaɪndə||'pæθ-/ n 1 a person who goes on ahead of a group and finds the best way through unknown land 2 a person who discovers new ways of doing things
Pathfinder also Mars Pathfinder a US government space programme in which NASA sent a spacecraft without people inside to Mars in 1997 in order to find out more information about the PLANET
path·o·log·i·cal /ˌpæθə'lɒdʒɪkəl||-lɑː-/ adj 1 med of PATHOLOGY 2 med caused by disease, especially of the mind 3 infml unreasonable and unnatural; going on for a long time and out of control: a pathological fear of the dark | a pathological liar ➞ly /kli/ adv: pathologically jealous
pa·thol·o·gist /pə'θɒlədʒɪst||-θɑː-/ n med a person, especially a doctor, who is a specialist in pathology
pa·thol·o·gy /pə'θɒlədʒi||-θɑː-/ n [U] med the study of the causes and effects of illnesses
pa·thos /'peɪθɒs||-θɑːs/ n [U] especially lit the quality in a situation, a person, or in something said or written that causes a feeling of pity and sorrow
path·way /'pɑːθwe||'pæθ-/ n a PATH
pa·tience /'peɪʃəns/ n [U] 1 a) the ability to wait calmly for a long time and not be made angry by delay: You need patience if you want to get served in this shop. b) the ability to accept pain, trouble, or anything that causes annoyance, without complaining or losing one's self-control: The teacher had no patience with the less intelligent pupils. | The continual noise from the road repairs is beginning to try my patience. (=make me lose my patience) 2 (the power of showing) care and close attention to work that is difficult or tiring: I wouldn't have the patience to sit mending watches all day. 3 also solitaire AmE — a card game for one player
pa·tient¹ /'peɪʃənt/ adj [(with)] having or showing patience ➔ opposite IMPATIENT ➞ly adv
patient² n a person receiving medical treatment from a doctor and/or in a hospital ➔ see CUSTOMER (USAGE)
Patient's 'Charter, the an official statement, produced by the British government, that gave a list of the rights of people who use the National Health Service. It was part of the CITIZEN'S CHARTER programme.
pat·i·na /'pætɪnə/ n [S;U] 1 a usually green surface covering formed naturally on copper or BRONZE 2 a pleasingly smooth shiny surface that gradually develops on wood, walls etc; (fig.) the patina of wealth
pat·io /'pætiəʊ/ n pl -os an open space with a stone floor next to a house, used for sitting on or eating on in fine weather ➔ compare TERRACE, VERANDA
'patio ,doors n [P] sliding doors which are usually made of glass and open from a living room onto a patio
pa·tis·se·rie /pə'tiːsəri/ n [C;U] (a shop that sells) French-style cakes etc
pa·tois /'pætwɑː/ n pl -tois /twɑːz/ [C;U] a form of spoken language used by the people of a small area, which is different from the national language, especially if felt to be nonstandard
Pa·ton, Al·an /'peɪtn, 'ælən/ (1903–88) a South African writer and schoolteacher. He wrote about political and social subjects, but is best known for his novel CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY.
pa·tri·al /'peɪtriəl, 'pæ-/ n especially BrE someone who for special reasons, especially because one of their parents or their grandfather or grandmother was born in the United Kingdom, has a legal right to settle in the United Kingdom
pa·tri·arch /'peɪtriɑːk||-ɑːrk/ n 1 an old and much-respected man, especially one who is the head of a family ➔ compare MATRIARCH 2 a) a BISHOP in the early Christian church b) (usually cap.) a chief bishop of the Eastern churches: the Patriarch of Jerusalem
pa·tri·arch·al /ˌpeɪtri'ɑːkəl||-ɑːr-/ adj 1 ruled or controlled only by men: a patriarchal society 2 of or like a patriarch ➔ compare MATRIARCHAL
pa·tri·arch·y /'peɪtriɑːki||-ɑːr-/ n [C;U] 1 (an example of) a social system in which the oldest man is head of the family, and passes power and possessions on to his sons 2 (an example of) a social system in which men hold all the power and use it only for their own advantage ➔ compare MATRIARCHY
pa·tri·cian¹ /pə'trɪʃən/ n 1 a member of the governing classes in ancient Rome 2 sometimes derog or apprec a nobleman; ARISTOCRAT ➔ compare PLEBEIAN
patrician² adj 1 belonging to the governing classes in ancient Rome 2 sometimes derog of or like a PATRICIAN: patrician aloofness
pat·ri·cide /'pætrɪsaɪd/ n 1 [U] fml the murder of one's father 2 [C] tech a person guilty of this crime ➔ compare MATRICIDE, PARRICIDE
Pat·rick, Saint /'pætrɪk/ (?389–461 AD) the PATRON SAINT of Ireland, who helped to spread the Christian religion there and who people think got rid of snakes in Ireland. St Patrick's Day, 17th March, is celebrated in Ireland and in the US, where people drink Irish beer and often wear green clothes. ➔ see Feature on page A17
pat·ri·mo·ny /'pætrɪməni||-moʊni/ n [S;U] fml property