| 释义 |
verbpatting, pats, patted patpæt [with object]1Touch quickly and gently with the flat of the hand. he patted him consolingly on the shoulder Example sentencesExamples - Tessa rolls her eyes, and actually has the nerve to pat me consolingly on the shoulder.
- Michael glanced at Liz and set her down, patting her gently.
- She climbed onto the rock and patted herself dry with one of the blankets.
- He patted each pocket a second time and shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his hands.
- I quickly patted down my pockets and, finding nothing, I frantically checked the pavement around me.
- Looking up at the cave mouth before him, Mega gently patted Rush on the head, as the robot dog moved to stand beside him.
- They began patting themselves dry and Lydie wrung out her hair with the towel.
- I sigh in relief, and quickly pat myself down before putting the air vent back on and walking back out.
- ‘I know the feeling’ I replied, patting him gently on the back.
- He patted me quickly on the back then scuttled off down the far end of the cat walk.
- Buck turned to his horse and patted Gypsy gently.
- I did so and she pulled an embroidered towel off a metal rack and patted me dry.
- ‘And I understand why they said that completely,’ Amy said, patting him gently on the shoulder.
- Jerry, after taking a look at his brother, patted Jasmine consolingly on the hand.
- ‘Good girl,’ said Ray, winking, patting her none too gently on the head.
- If the baby stops breathing, a nurse will stimulate the baby to start breathing by patting him or touching the soles of his feet.
- I got up off the mountainside and patted myself down quickly trying to stay stable.
- She gasped, patting all of her pockets and then her collarbone, searching but not finding.
- ‘It's okay, I always thought Winnie was cute’ Ben said gently patting her on the head.
- ‘Breathe, girl, breathe,’ Drew said, patting Kelly gently on the back.
Synonyms tap, slap lightly, clap, dab touch, stroke, pet, caress, fondle, rub - 1.1 Draw attention to (something) by tapping it gently.
he patted the bench beside him and I sat down Example sentencesExamples - Chloe pulled the bench out from under the piano and sat down, patting the space beside her.
- She grins cheerily back until he shrugs and pats the grass beside him.
- ‘I should be thanking you,’ he said, scooting over and patting the space beside him.
- The doll nodded softly, and stepped out of her exhibit, then sat down upon a bench, and patted the spot next to her.
- I saw Nathan sitting on a log, patting the empty space beside him, ‘Saved you a place.’
- ‘Come sit,’ she beckoned patting the spot beside her as she sank gracefully down by the fireplace.
- ‘Come and sit here, and let's talk about it,’ I said, patting the seat beside me on the couch.
- He had just smiled at me, patting the seat beside him.
- ‘Here, sit next to me,’ Lisa said, sitting on the bed and patting the spot beside her.
- He paused at a bench and dropped down patting the seat next to him.
- ‘Come here,’ he repeated, patting the vacant area beside him.
- ‘Now let's talk,’ he said with a smile, sitting down cross-legged on the cold concrete floor and patting the floor beside him.
- ‘Come on,’ he coaxed, patting the lounge beside him.
- He pointed to a vacant bench and sat down, patting the space beside him to indicate where I should be.
- ‘We need to talk, honey,’ mum said, patting the place beside her.
- Rob sat down on the right side of the piano bench and patted the space next to him.
- ‘Maria… sit down, and be quiet,’ her mother said softly, patting the couch beside her.
- Michael drew the sheets away and patted the part of the bed beside him, as if telling me to lie there.
- Josh pats his waist to draw attention to the belt securely surrounding it.
- I'm not going to bite you,’ he continued, laughing and patting the bed beside him.
- 1.2with object and adverbial Mould into shape or put in position with gentle taps.
she patted down the earth in each pot Example sentencesExamples - Straw had to be cut, trimmed and tied as a shaker for the holy water, stick butter patted into shapes and all the foodstuff bought for the breakfast.
- I patted down my frizzy brown hair, and attempted to find another, better shirt.
- He quickly patted everything down, making it as flat as possible, and then he finally unrolled his sleeping bag.
- She pats the girl's back and brushes the hair out of her eyes.
- She put on a black Ramones T-shirt and patted down her hair with her hands.
- Raphael tried to pat down his wild hair before giving a loud sigh and collapsing into bed.
- Wren walked in, wiping his hands on his trousers and trying to pat down his ruffled hair.
- My hands make their way to his head again and I begin to pat down his hair like I was doing before.
- The night wind rustled his hair and his hand reflexively went up to pat down the strays.
- Summer said anxiously, patting her straight blond hair into place and batting her eyes rapidly.
- Press chocolate in the shape, lightly pat on top to push in every groove of the mould.
- Then gently pat the layers down so they are even, and carefully pour the white sauce mix over the top to fill your dish,.
- I looked at Jackson who nodded, patting down his messy hair.
- Divide the meat into four, roll into balls, then flatten and pat into four thick burger shapes.
- Alice was nervously patting down her hair, and glancing about.
- I shrugged and sat up, patting down my messy hair.
- I stopped just in time, patted out my frizzled hair and open the door.
- Gabrielle stretched as she got out of the car, trying her best to pat down her unruly hair, but remained unsuccessful.
- She glowered after him, patting down her tangled hair.
- I narrowed my eyes and idly patted down my short blond hair that I always kept gelled forward.
nounPlural pats, Plural Pats patpæt 1A quick, light touch with the hand. giving him a friendly pat on the arm, she went off to join the others Example sentencesExamples - He brought Pegasus to a halt, and alighted him, tying the reins to a nearby post, and giving the white horse a quick pat.
- Scotty gives Johnny a friendly pat on the arm before leaving the room.
- It was a light pat, but it made me open my eyes and look up at him.
- She gave him a quick hug and a pat on the shoulder.
- He gave the side of the van two quick pats before he moved away.
- Sylvian smiled, ran over to his friend, gave her a hug, and a light pat on the back.
- I saw my pets were paying the price of my hectic schedule by receiving quick pats on their heads, rushed walks, and broken promises of evening playtimes.
- He gave her a quick kiss and a quick pat on my shoulder before he left, leaving Crystal and I staring across the table at each other.
- Tori gave my shoulder a light pat, ‘And you've helped me in more ways that anyone else could.’
- She regretted not giving quick pats to her favorite horses, whose stalls were on her left and right.
- Desa gave him a friendly pat on the arm, then rejoined her ‘friend’ in the back of the group.
- Carefully standing up, I limped slowly over to Alpete, who snorted and stretched out his delicate velvet nose for a light pat.
- Setting down the bandages, she gave the injured beast a quick pat.
- She gave him a quick pat on the shoulder, another surprise; he wasn't a very touchy-feely person.
- Kathryn growled under her breath and gave him a light pat on the neck.
- The old woman gave her a smile and a quick pat on the back.
- Receiving a quick pat on the back by Chris, David continued to walk toward the metal bleachers.
- A quick pat of the pockets and a bit of fumbling produced the card.
- She removed her hand only to give him a light pat on the head.
- With a quick pat of my ankle I verify that my back-up is still tucked into the slender ankle holster and then pull the door release and step into the quiet parking lot.
Synonyms tap, light blow, clap, dab caress, stroke, fondle, touch 2A compact mass of soft material. Example sentencesExamples - A pat of butter was melted in the pan, sufficient in quantity to thoroughly lubricate the whole of its surface, and leave a coating of moisture about an eighth of an inch deep over all.
- Put a pat of butter on each slice of bread (one slice per person).
- Just slather a generous pat of butter onto one of these spicy muffins while it's still warm, and call it dessert.
- Fry the golden chanterelles in a pat of butter until some of the moisture is evaporated.
- When the cider is reduced, add a pat of butter and let that melt, then add the apples.
- At each meal, your protein should be the size of a deck of cards, your starchy carbs as big as a small orange and your fats no more than a teaspoon of olive oil or a pat of butter.
- Brunch was often distinguished by an extra pat of butter and a piece of fruit, he said.
- We were bought a complimentary plate of various breads to share, with a pat of butter and a little bowl of the most beautiful looking, vibrant orange marmalade.
- After rinsing, skip the lotion but put on a pat of baby powder or cornstarch.
- I was just putting a pat of butter in the bottom of a pan for the scrambled eggs, when Alex wanders through to see me.
- Put in the refrigerator and anytime you need a pat of butter just cut it off the ‘log’.
- They also brought a pat of butter and the ‘bread basket’, which was in fact toasted logs of thin baguette, bunched up together in a wide glass.
- Go out to the sidewalk at noon, spread out the foil, drop a pat of butter on the eggs, position the bacon, then begin fooling around with the spatula.
- It looked like a pat of butter caught in the midst of an ocean, with puffy marshmallows snuggling up.
- The peas are covered in salted water, cooked until tender, seasoned with a pat of butter and served.
- Despite the gulf of property and manner, country and language, they may have turned to each other for a pat of butter or a bunch of spring flowers.
- The woman mumbles thanks, and Jin comes over to me, and hands me a plate of cool nut bread, and a small pat of butter, with a knife to spread it.
- Some expertly cooked carrots and green beans (that was me again) tasted even better with the little pat of butter included in the deal.
- Intrigued, we ordered a round and, as advertised, it tasted like someone had dropped a pat of Land O'Lakes into weak Earl Grey.
- Two slices of toast, a pat of butter and a blob of marmalade were on a side plate accompanied by a glass of ice water.
Synonyms piece, dab, lump, portion, knob, mass, cake, chunk, wedge, hunk, gobbet, ball, curl rare clod, gob
Phrases An expression of approval or congratulation. they deserve a pat on the back for a job well done Example sentencesExamples - A blackburn school is one of a handful nationwide to be given a pat on the back for the ninth-year running by a leading skills agency.
- Cheers to everyone who clicked, you deserve a pat on the back.
- Those of you who rightly guessed that it comes from Henry VIII, act II, scene IV may give yourselves a pat on the back.
- Remember, too, that a pat on the back for a job well done can often be appreciated as much as incentives.
- The two pubs are quite different and York Brewery deserves a pat on the back for daring to be a real ale pub offering chrome and sofas alongside pianos and barrels.
- But the loons and quines on the Press & Journal deserve a pat on the back.
- He congratulated me with a pat on the back, a flush spreading across his face.
- We hope all those publishers who turned the book down give themselves a pat on the back for yet another job well done.
- He finally made his mark with three runs which brought cheers from the crowd and a pat on the back from Atherton.
- We are given a conscientious restoration, a commentary, and a pat on the back, which is enough for me.
- Also give yourself a pat on the back for answers you know you got right, and forgive yourself for those you messed up.
- Another part of the job he really likes: Giving a deserving kid a pat on the back.
- When players recovered from knocks they were more often than not helped to their feet by the opposition, an act sometimes accompanied by a pat on the back.
- Festival Place should give everyone a pat on the back for such a wonderful job they did in order for the evening to run so smoothly.
- So keep these tools in an accessible place nearby for those times when you can use a round of applause or a pat on the back.
- Instead, the party gave itself a pat on the back, expressing pride in its achievements.
- The Road Service certainly deserve a pat on the back for the way they gritted the road through the Village the night that the snow fell.
- Journal readers can give themselves a pat on the back for helping to raise enough money to start rebuilding a village that was washed away by the tsunami.
- For finishing first place in a Scottish Hillrally you receive a hearty round of applause and a pat on the back.
- He has worked a lot with Craig and deserves a pat on the back for bringing him on so well.
Synonyms praise, congratulations, commendation, applause, salutes, honour, acclaim, acclamation, tribute, cheers, ovation, accolade, plaudits, felicitations approval, admiration, approbation, compliments, kudos, adulation, homage eulogy, encomium, panegyric, bouquets, laurels, testimonial rare extolment, laudation, eulogium
Express approval of or admiration for someone. the local authority had spent responsibly, and a government department patted it on the back Example sentencesExamples - Someone handed him a drink as several people crowed around him patting him on the back and congratulating him on the success of the raid.
- He is not the sort of person who gives out compliments or pats you on the back, he does it in other ways.
- All of Vix's friends complimented him and patted him on the back.
- Ellis shouted ‘It worked,’ said Lori approvingly and patting Susan on the back.
- It was discussed and approved and we were patted on the back.
- I'll never want anyone to pat me on the back and congratulate me on coming third, but I've definitely got life in perspective now.
- People he did not recognize patted him on the back and congratulating him on an excessively long keg stand.
- They seemed nonchalant as they patted Raymond on the back and congratulated him as well.
- I was in such a daze from the previous night the next morning that I didn't even realize that I had been made Person Of The Day until I heard people congratulating me and patting me on the back.
- And there's just the two of us in the room, as he pats me on the back to congratulate me on my unarguably well-delivered line.
- As he walked down the tables to pick up a tray and food, everyone patted him on the back and congratulated him.
- As I'm leaving a man from the audience pats me on the back to congratulate me.
- I do feel a need to pat Spetnak on the back for this comment.
- I patted him on the back with an approving smile.
- Although we are in a strong position it is no good patting ourselves on the back in October or November.
- The cars' occupants hooted their approval and patted Chad on the back for his bravery.
- His friends were milling around him, patting him on the back and congratulating him on a great fight.
- ‘Well, anyway, I'm glad that Blake could find someone who could make him happy, even for a little while,’ he commented, patting me on the back as he jumped off the bleachers.
- My coach commented while patting me on the back.
- He felt a million hands patting him on the back and congratulating him on a job well done.
Synonyms congratulate, praise, sing the praises of, express approval of, take one's hat off to commend, compliment, applaud, acclaim, give someone a pat on the back, throw bouquets at
Phrasal Verbs (of a police officer or security official) pass the hands over someone's clothing in a search for concealed items such as weapons or illegal drugs. Example sentencesExamples - They came in, patted me down and made me sit in the corner.
- A female screener patted her down under her armpit and touched her with an open hand between her breasts.
- He patted me down for a wire.
- When police officers arrived, a passer-by pointed out where the man had run off to; the officers found him and patted him down.
- Then the two airmen led the suspect away to the hood of a patrol car, where they patted him down for weapons and drugs.
- "They patted me down and found nothing," Godfrey says.
- They made me take off my boots and patted me down.
- John patted him down, but found nothing.
- The second soldier patted me down roughly, then scrutinized my Harper's press card minutely.
- At the reception station, a tall young guard took my photo, scanned my index fingerprints, and patted me down.
Origin Late Middle English (as a noun denoting a blow with something flat): probably imitative. The verb dates from the mid 16th century. First recorded for a blow with something flat, pat is probably imitative of the noise. The late 16th-century pat meaning ‘readily’ and in phrases such as to have off pat, ‘to have memorized perfectly’, were probably originally the same word. In early use it often appears as to hit pat, as if with the hand. In the early 20th-century Australian expression on your pat, ‘on your own’, pat is a shortening of rhyming slang Pat Malone, although there is no record of a particular person referred to. The English mid 20th-century equivalent, on your tod, however, comes from the name of the American jockey Tod Sloan (1874–1933). One sense of patter (early 17th century) developed from pat. The patter of little feet, is from Longfellow's ‘The Children's Hour’ (1860) ‘I hear in the chamber above me The patter of little feet, The sound of a door that is opened, And the voices soft and sweet.’ See also patter
Rhymes at, bat, brat, cat, chat, cravat, drat, expat, fat, flat, frat, gat, gnat, hat, hereat, high-hat, howzat, lat, mat, matt, matte, Montserrat, Nat, outsat, pit-a-pat, plait, plat, prat, Rabat, rat, rat-tat, Sadat, sat, scat, Sebat, shabbat, shat, skat, slat, spat, splat, sprat, stat, Surat, tat, that, thereat, tit-for-tat, vat, whereat adjective patpæt Simple and somewhat glib or unconvincing. there are no pat answers to these questions Example sentencesExamples - You may have a pat answer to this one, because it's asked all the time: Why are the Rules of Golf so complicated?
- And so he would probably give his pat answer which is, you know pour me something tall and strong.
- It was clear that by that time they had gotten a few calls on the matter, and had a pat answer.
- Hers is a book for mature people who do not expect pat answers, who are willing to be disturbed by arguments instead of having their prejudices satisfied.
- That's the normal life of folks at Catholic Answers, not the endless dispensation of pat answers.
- Over the years, I've come up with a pat answer for when this happens.
- There are some very pat answers available on the FDA's website.
- I thought his little set, pat answers generally didn't work as well tonight.
- The reason this makes me want to wash my hands of humanity forever, even though I'm sure the person that says it means no harm by spouting this kind of pat answer.
- I believe that there are some moral situations that do not have a straightforward answer and I don't have a pat answer for this or any other moral issue.
- When they send back the usual pat answers, tell them it's still not good enough, and ask again for their plans to release the children by any date.
- She doesn't come up with pat answers: Her character is as confused as the rest of who contain multitudes.
- First, those who have either been conditioned out of thinking about such questions or else have glibly assimilated pat religious answers lead impoverished lives.
- I'm not sure that I can give a pat answer to that, or that any of us should give a pat answer as a description for any component of our lives.
- All you have are pat answers and glib retorts that turn out, on ten seconds' worth of thought, to be mindless platitudes.
- The pat answer is that, recognising that they are both Swedish, he thought they might like to mutter sweet nothings to each other in their mother tongue.
- I just hug him and try not to give him the pat answer of this is life and everyone dies.
- There are no glib, pat answers that will provide comfort to people of faith in the face of such an overwhelming, needless tragedy, says Christian.
- We don't give stock answers or pat replies to their questions and many players actually know our support staff by name!
- It's also possible that, if a man does a lot of dating, he might have a pat answer that he gives out casually, but have all kinds of issues that might surface later.
Synonyms glib, simple, simplistic, facile, slick, smooth, unconvincing, perfunctory
adverb patpæt At exactly the right moment or in the right way; very conveniently or opportunely. the happy ending came rather pat Synonyms opportunely, conveniently, advantageously, at just/exactly the right moment, expediently usefully, beneficially, favourably, profitably, appropriately, fittingly, suitably, aptly, timely, auspiciously, luckily, happily, providentially, felicitously, seasonably, propitiously
Phrases have something off (or down) pat Have something memorized perfectly. she has her answer off pat Example sentencesExamples - And some performers have the genre down pat: you can't help but be taken into the stories they tell.
- In fact, Moran has it down pat; he has a relentlessly petulant stance on all things even slightly enjoyable - barring, of course, the odd cigarette or glass of wine, but then that goes without saying.
- I'm so used to this sort of attack that I now have my response off pat.
- I suppose if Franklin were home everyday he might have the whole thing down pat.
- I admit I'm more of a 70s girl myself, but even I could appreciate that Alba has the moves down pat.
- Clearly this satirical tale of the beautiful people who orbit an enigmatic film producer has its avant-garde checklist down pat.
- Obviously Amazon and Allmusic have the basics down pat - simple catalogue-related facets of a release, which make it easy to find and sell music.
- He's always going to have had the action stuff down pat, but it's the beats between where he's really impressed me.
- As every other occasional Londonite could tell you, navigating the city takes a jolting adjustment to the pace and punch of making your way around, and not all of us have the cockney charm off pat.
- Home to such institutions as the War Crime Tribunal and International Criminal Court, The Hague definitely has the justice thing down pat.
- It is not so much a question of what makes a criminal - Lucy has the answers off pat, ‘poverty, a failing system of education and the values of a monetarist society’ - but who exactly is the criminal and to what degree?
- Vice magazine had the contradiction thing down pat almost from the get-go.
- I guess the most reassuring thing is that if this English degree doesn't land me a job I'll have the stay-at-home-dad thing down pat.
- We stood at the bar for the obligatory age watching the barwoman wow the waiting gents with her glass tossing routine (she had it down pat but it wasn't terribly impressive the 10th time).
- I know that in about a month he will have the whole thing down pat and wont even break a sweat the next time he has to read an excerpt out of his book.
- This guy had the patter down pat, but you could never tell where!
- In a few years' time, they'll have it down pat - just like they have with Eastern Europe.
- Just when you think you have this parenting thing down pat, they throw you a curve.
- A caged canary at a craft shop in rural England had the whole whistle down pat.
- I also think that, even though I know exercise is a huge part of weight loss, if I can take this ‘down’ time to really focus on my foods, by the time I'm given the go-ahead to workout I will have the food thing down pat.
Synonyms word-perfect, by heart, by rote, word for word, parrot-fashion, verbatim, by memory, memorized memorize, commit to memory, remember, retain, learn by heart, learn, learn by rote, impress on the memory, become word-perfect in
1Stick stubbornly to one's opinion or decision. many ranchers stood pat with the old strains of cattle Example sentencesExamples - IBM, along with Intel Corp., is one of the few standing pat.
- They screamed during the offseason for free-agent signings and other roster improvements while Reid largely stood pat.
- The most likely scenario is for the team to stand pat with its top pick, or perhaps slide back a few spots as it did in 2001.
- Last spring, they stood pat at the March trading deadline with a lineup that finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference - and then were dumped unceremoniously in the first round of the playoffs by the bankrupt Penguins.
- The Titans also chose to go heavy on defense, standing pat on offense.
- Obviously no one will ever know whether or not the White Sox, if they had stood pat, would have caught the Indians, who went on to win the division title and the A.L. pennant before losing the World Series to the Florida Marlins.
- The Bruins opted to stand pat on their coach and shuffle players like so many playing cards.
- Baltimore stood pat in free agency, not signing a free agent other than those on their own roster.
- Two AFC South stalwarts that stood pat this offseason in the free-agent department figure to let it all hang out as they always do.
- The Seahawks are standing pat on offense and turning over five positions on defense.
- While other food companies in recent years have scrambled to slash costs, Nestlé has stood pat, insisting that robust sales growth was its top priority.
- Arizona, with a payroll already stretching the club's resources to a budget-busting level, opted to stand pat, which is not a bad decision.
- The dollar's drag could worsen if central banks in the U.S. and euro zone cut rates while the BOC stands pat.
- Tibco Software hasn't gotten to where it is - at the top of the heap of vendors of enterprise application integration software - by standing pat.
- Even as an increasing number of Latinos, Asians and trade unionists defected to the Republicans, blacks stood pat with the Democrats.
- The decision to stand pat highlights the lack of coordination between the BOJ and the government to pull the world's second-biggest economy out of recession.
- With baseball's best record, the Cardinals elected to stand pat at the trade deadline.
- And the Senators pretty much stood pat with the powerhouse team of last season that came so close to the Stanley Cup finals.
- Depending on your viewpoint, the acquisitions boom can be taken as a positive demonstration that the industry is not standing pat as it doubles e-media bets already in place on fast-growing newspaper online operations.
- With their own costs still growing at 7.5%, however, employers can't afford to stand pat.
- Problems like these, the CENTURY concluded, would not be solved ‘by standing pat on the traditions under which the present absurd inequities have grown up’.
- In short, North Korea stands pat on its position that the whole issue has been ‘resolved.’
- Bears They stood pat on defense but revamped their offense - especially if you include the return of injured quarterback.
2(in poker and blackjack) retain one's hand as dealt, without drawing other cards. Example sentencesExamples - The Capraesque ‘normal’ person stands pat with his neighborhood investment club while the financiers of Manhattan, driven by imaginary fears and wild superstitions, panic and flee.
- Likewise, if your No.2 wideout is set to face tough defenses in three consecutive weeks, don't stand pat and take that kind of scoring hit.
- Eleven of his 14 picks are in the final four rounds, so it's unlikely Wolf will be able to move up more than a position or two in the first round - so he'll likely stand pat at the 14th pick and take the best defensive end.
Derivatives adverb Ten minutes later, Collateral has been patly wrapped up and you're staring at the credits, feeling a bit disappointed. Example sentencesExamples - The Scooby-Doo ending disappoints when it is delivered too patly, when the information comes too easily, when the proper foundation has not been laid.
- Many of the survivors are more thinly drawn than their abusers, and some patly written scenes necessary to move the story along clearly take more dramatic license with reality than you wish they would.
- The only letdown is in the end, where her grief over her sister Malu's and Shyam's separate suicides are tied in rather too patly.
noun And the outcome doesn't quite work - wobbly credibility giving way to patness. Example sentencesExamples - I enjoyed The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, but the minor weaknesses in those films - their occasional obviousness, patness, and preachiness - blossom into the defining characteristics of The Majestic.
- It is not that we need any sort of patness, and there is much to be said for stories that are not tied up too neatly, but occasionally one encounters an almost wilful irresolution.
- But there are some obvious problems here, including metaphorical patness and the fact that it almost certainly couldn't have happened that way.
- The absence of spontaneity, the patness of the artistic and intellectual approach, the resulting weakness of the drama brings about the question: how many indelible moments has he created?
- The cafés don't really appear as mysterious objects of enquiry, but as a way in to literary-political tropes of stunning familiarity and patness.
Origin Late 16th century: related to pat1; apparently originally symbolic: a frequently found early use was hit pat (i.e. hit as if with flat blow). nounPlural pats, Plural Pats pat derogatory, informal An Irishman (often as a form of address).
Origin Early 19th century: abbreviation of the male given name Patrick. verbpætpat [with object]1Touch quickly and gently with the flat of the hand. he patted him consolingly on the shoulder with object and complement a nurse washed her all over and patted her dry Example sentencesExamples - ‘And I understand why they said that completely,’ Amy said, patting him gently on the shoulder.
- Looking up at the cave mouth before him, Mega gently patted Rush on the head, as the robot dog moved to stand beside him.
- If the baby stops breathing, a nurse will stimulate the baby to start breathing by patting him or touching the soles of his feet.
- Jerry, after taking a look at his brother, patted Jasmine consolingly on the hand.
- She climbed onto the rock and patted herself dry with one of the blankets.
- He patted each pocket a second time and shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his hands.
- ‘Good girl,’ said Ray, winking, patting her none too gently on the head.
- He patted me quickly on the back then scuttled off down the far end of the cat walk.
- I quickly patted down my pockets and, finding nothing, I frantically checked the pavement around me.
- I got up off the mountainside and patted myself down quickly trying to stay stable.
- Buck turned to his horse and patted Gypsy gently.
- ‘It's okay, I always thought Winnie was cute’ Ben said gently patting her on the head.
- I sigh in relief, and quickly pat myself down before putting the air vent back on and walking back out.
- She gasped, patting all of her pockets and then her collarbone, searching but not finding.
- I did so and she pulled an embroidered towel off a metal rack and patted me dry.
- Tessa rolls her eyes, and actually has the nerve to pat me consolingly on the shoulder.
- ‘I know the feeling’ I replied, patting him gently on the back.
- Michael glanced at Liz and set her down, patting her gently.
- ‘Breathe, girl, breathe,’ Drew said, patting Kelly gently on the back.
- They began patting themselves dry and Lydie wrung out her hair with the towel.
Synonyms tap, slap lightly, clap, dab - 1.1 Draw attention to (something) by tapping it gently.
he patted the bench beside him and I sat down Example sentencesExamples - ‘I should be thanking you,’ he said, scooting over and patting the space beside him.
- Michael drew the sheets away and patted the part of the bed beside him, as if telling me to lie there.
- Chloe pulled the bench out from under the piano and sat down, patting the space beside her.
- ‘Come and sit here, and let's talk about it,’ I said, patting the seat beside me on the couch.
- He had just smiled at me, patting the seat beside him.
- ‘Come here,’ he repeated, patting the vacant area beside him.
- ‘Maria… sit down, and be quiet,’ her mother said softly, patting the couch beside her.
- ‘Here, sit next to me,’ Lisa said, sitting on the bed and patting the spot beside her.
- Josh pats his waist to draw attention to the belt securely surrounding it.
- ‘Now let's talk,’ he said with a smile, sitting down cross-legged on the cold concrete floor and patting the floor beside him.
- I saw Nathan sitting on a log, patting the empty space beside him, ‘Saved you a place.’
- He paused at a bench and dropped down patting the seat next to him.
- ‘We need to talk, honey,’ mum said, patting the place beside her.
- The doll nodded softly, and stepped out of her exhibit, then sat down upon a bench, and patted the spot next to her.
- ‘Come sit,’ she beckoned patting the spot beside her as she sank gracefully down by the fireplace.
- I'm not going to bite you,’ he continued, laughing and patting the bed beside him.
- She grins cheerily back until he shrugs and pats the grass beside him.
- ‘Come on,’ he coaxed, patting the lounge beside him.
- He pointed to a vacant bench and sat down, patting the space beside him to indicate where I should be.
- Rob sat down on the right side of the piano bench and patted the space next to him.
- 1.2 Mold into shape or put in position with gentle taps.
she patted down the earth in each pot Example sentencesExamples - Summer said anxiously, patting her straight blond hair into place and batting her eyes rapidly.
- Wren walked in, wiping his hands on his trousers and trying to pat down his ruffled hair.
- I patted down my frizzy brown hair, and attempted to find another, better shirt.
- Alice was nervously patting down her hair, and glancing about.
- My hands make their way to his head again and I begin to pat down his hair like I was doing before.
- Divide the meat into four, roll into balls, then flatten and pat into four thick burger shapes.
- Then gently pat the layers down so they are even, and carefully pour the white sauce mix over the top to fill your dish,.
- She glowered after him, patting down her tangled hair.
- I narrowed my eyes and idly patted down my short blond hair that I always kept gelled forward.
- She put on a black Ramones T-shirt and patted down her hair with her hands.
- I stopped just in time, patted out my frizzled hair and open the door.
- Press chocolate in the shape, lightly pat on top to push in every groove of the mould.
- The night wind rustled his hair and his hand reflexively went up to pat down the strays.
- Raphael tried to pat down his wild hair before giving a loud sigh and collapsing into bed.
- Straw had to be cut, trimmed and tied as a shaker for the holy water, stick butter patted into shapes and all the foodstuff bought for the breakfast.
- He quickly patted everything down, making it as flat as possible, and then he finally unrolled his sleeping bag.
- I shrugged and sat up, patting down my messy hair.
- She pats the girl's back and brushes the hair out of her eyes.
- Gabrielle stretched as she got out of the car, trying her best to pat down her unruly hair, but remained unsuccessful.
- I looked at Jackson who nodded, patting down his messy hair.
nounpætpat 1A light stroke with the hand. giving him a friendly pat on the arm, she went off to join the others Example sentencesExamples - She regretted not giving quick pats to her favorite horses, whose stalls were on her left and right.
- Tori gave my shoulder a light pat, ‘And you've helped me in more ways that anyone else could.’
- He brought Pegasus to a halt, and alighted him, tying the reins to a nearby post, and giving the white horse a quick pat.
- Sylvian smiled, ran over to his friend, gave her a hug, and a light pat on the back.
- Kathryn growled under her breath and gave him a light pat on the neck.
- She gave him a quick hug and a pat on the shoulder.
- Receiving a quick pat on the back by Chris, David continued to walk toward the metal bleachers.
- Scotty gives Johnny a friendly pat on the arm before leaving the room.
- It was a light pat, but it made me open my eyes and look up at him.
- Carefully standing up, I limped slowly over to Alpete, who snorted and stretched out his delicate velvet nose for a light pat.
- Setting down the bandages, she gave the injured beast a quick pat.
- I saw my pets were paying the price of my hectic schedule by receiving quick pats on their heads, rushed walks, and broken promises of evening playtimes.
- The old woman gave her a smile and a quick pat on the back.
- Desa gave him a friendly pat on the arm, then rejoined her ‘friend’ in the back of the group.
- A quick pat of the pockets and a bit of fumbling produced the card.
- He gave her a quick kiss and a quick pat on my shoulder before he left, leaving Crystal and I staring across the table at each other.
- He gave the side of the van two quick pats before he moved away.
- She removed her hand only to give him a light pat on the head.
- With a quick pat of my ankle I verify that my back-up is still tucked into the slender ankle holster and then pull the door release and step into the quiet parking lot.
- She gave him a quick pat on the shoulder, another surprise; he wasn't a very touchy-feely person.
Synonyms tap, light blow, clap, dab 2A compact mass of soft material. Example sentencesExamples - Put in the refrigerator and anytime you need a pat of butter just cut it off the ‘log’.
- After rinsing, skip the lotion but put on a pat of baby powder or cornstarch.
- I was just putting a pat of butter in the bottom of a pan for the scrambled eggs, when Alex wanders through to see me.
- Intrigued, we ordered a round and, as advertised, it tasted like someone had dropped a pat of Land O'Lakes into weak Earl Grey.
- At each meal, your protein should be the size of a deck of cards, your starchy carbs as big as a small orange and your fats no more than a teaspoon of olive oil or a pat of butter.
- A pat of butter was melted in the pan, sufficient in quantity to thoroughly lubricate the whole of its surface, and leave a coating of moisture about an eighth of an inch deep over all.
- Brunch was often distinguished by an extra pat of butter and a piece of fruit, he said.
- Despite the gulf of property and manner, country and language, they may have turned to each other for a pat of butter or a bunch of spring flowers.
- The woman mumbles thanks, and Jin comes over to me, and hands me a plate of cool nut bread, and a small pat of butter, with a knife to spread it.
- When the cider is reduced, add a pat of butter and let that melt, then add the apples.
- Go out to the sidewalk at noon, spread out the foil, drop a pat of butter on the eggs, position the bacon, then begin fooling around with the spatula.
- Just slather a generous pat of butter onto one of these spicy muffins while it's still warm, and call it dessert.
- We were bought a complimentary plate of various breads to share, with a pat of butter and a little bowl of the most beautiful looking, vibrant orange marmalade.
- The peas are covered in salted water, cooked until tender, seasoned with a pat of butter and served.
- Two slices of toast, a pat of butter and a blob of marmalade were on a side plate accompanied by a glass of ice water.
- It looked like a pat of butter caught in the midst of an ocean, with puffy marshmallows snuggling up.
- Put a pat of butter on each slice of bread (one slice per person).
- Some expertly cooked carrots and green beans (that was me again) tasted even better with the little pat of butter included in the deal.
- Fry the golden chanterelles in a pat of butter until some of the moisture is evaporated.
- They also brought a pat of butter and the ‘bread basket’, which was in fact toasted logs of thin baguette, bunched up together in a wide glass.
Synonyms piece, dab, lump, portion, knob, mass, cake, chunk, wedge, hunk, gobbet, ball, curl
Phrases An expression of approval or congratulation. they deserve a pat on the back for a job well done Example sentencesExamples - Instead, the party gave itself a pat on the back, expressing pride in its achievements.
- Cheers to everyone who clicked, you deserve a pat on the back.
- A blackburn school is one of a handful nationwide to be given a pat on the back for the ninth-year running by a leading skills agency.
- Festival Place should give everyone a pat on the back for such a wonderful job they did in order for the evening to run so smoothly.
- Journal readers can give themselves a pat on the back for helping to raise enough money to start rebuilding a village that was washed away by the tsunami.
- He congratulated me with a pat on the back, a flush spreading across his face.
- So keep these tools in an accessible place nearby for those times when you can use a round of applause or a pat on the back.
- The Road Service certainly deserve a pat on the back for the way they gritted the road through the Village the night that the snow fell.
- When players recovered from knocks they were more often than not helped to their feet by the opposition, an act sometimes accompanied by a pat on the back.
- We hope all those publishers who turned the book down give themselves a pat on the back for yet another job well done.
- Another part of the job he really likes: Giving a deserving kid a pat on the back.
- Those of you who rightly guessed that it comes from Henry VIII, act II, scene IV may give yourselves a pat on the back.
- For finishing first place in a Scottish Hillrally you receive a hearty round of applause and a pat on the back.
- He has worked a lot with Craig and deserves a pat on the back for bringing him on so well.
- Remember, too, that a pat on the back for a job well done can often be appreciated as much as incentives.
- But the loons and quines on the Press & Journal deserve a pat on the back.
- The two pubs are quite different and York Brewery deserves a pat on the back for daring to be a real ale pub offering chrome and sofas alongside pianos and barrels.
- He finally made his mark with three runs which brought cheers from the crowd and a pat on the back from Atherton.
- Also give yourself a pat on the back for answers you know you got right, and forgive yourself for those you messed up.
- We are given a conscientious restoration, a commentary, and a pat on the back, which is enough for me.
Synonyms praise, congratulations, commendation, applause, salutes, honour, acclaim, acclamation, tribute, cheers, ovation, accolade, plaudits, felicitations
Express approval of or admiration for someone. she needs her own claque to applaud and pat her on the back Example sentencesExamples - It was discussed and approved and we were patted on the back.
- I do feel a need to pat Spetnak on the back for this comment.
- His friends were milling around him, patting him on the back and congratulating him on a great fight.
- I patted him on the back with an approving smile.
- ‘Well, anyway, I'm glad that Blake could find someone who could make him happy, even for a little while,’ he commented, patting me on the back as he jumped off the bleachers.
- My coach commented while patting me on the back.
- I'll never want anyone to pat me on the back and congratulate me on coming third, but I've definitely got life in perspective now.
- Ellis shouted ‘It worked,’ said Lori approvingly and patting Susan on the back.
- Someone handed him a drink as several people crowed around him patting him on the back and congratulating him on the success of the raid.
- They seemed nonchalant as they patted Raymond on the back and congratulated him as well.
- I was in such a daze from the previous night the next morning that I didn't even realize that I had been made Person Of The Day until I heard people congratulating me and patting me on the back.
- As he walked down the tables to pick up a tray and food, everyone patted him on the back and congratulated him.
- Although we are in a strong position it is no good patting ourselves on the back in October or November.
- He is not the sort of person who gives out compliments or pats you on the back, he does it in other ways.
- And there's just the two of us in the room, as he pats me on the back to congratulate me on my unarguably well-delivered line.
- The cars' occupants hooted their approval and patted Chad on the back for his bravery.
- He felt a million hands patting him on the back and congratulating him on a job well done.
- All of Vix's friends complimented him and patted him on the back.
- As I'm leaving a man from the audience pats me on the back to congratulate me.
- People he did not recognize patted him on the back and congratulating him on an excessively long keg stand.
Synonyms congratulate, praise, sing the praises of, express approval of, take one's hat off to
Phrasal Verbs (of a police officer or security official) pass the hands over someone's clothing in a search for concealed items such as weapons or illegal drugs. Example sentencesExamples - The second soldier patted me down roughly, then scrutinized my Harper's press card minutely.
- A female screener patted her down under her armpit and touched her with an open hand between her breasts.
- He patted me down for a wire.
- "They patted me down and found nothing," Godfrey says.
- At the reception station, a tall young guard took my photo, scanned my index fingerprints, and patted me down.
- They made me take off my boots and patted me down.
- Then the two airmen led the suspect away to the hood of a patrol car, where they patted him down for weapons and drugs.
- They came in, patted me down and made me sit in the corner.
- John patted him down, but found nothing.
- When police officers arrived, a passer-by pointed out where the man had run off to; the officers found him and patted him down.
Origin Late Middle English (as a noun denoting a blow with something flat): probably imitative. The verb dates from the mid 16th century. adjectivepætpat Simple and somewhat glib or unconvincing. instead of enlightened minds I found prejudice and pat answers Example sentencesExamples - When they send back the usual pat answers, tell them it's still not good enough, and ask again for their plans to release the children by any date.
- Over the years, I've come up with a pat answer for when this happens.
- The pat answer is that, recognising that they are both Swedish, he thought they might like to mutter sweet nothings to each other in their mother tongue.
- It's also possible that, if a man does a lot of dating, he might have a pat answer that he gives out casually, but have all kinds of issues that might surface later.
- There are some very pat answers available on the FDA's website.
- I just hug him and try not to give him the pat answer of this is life and everyone dies.
- I believe that there are some moral situations that do not have a straightforward answer and I don't have a pat answer for this or any other moral issue.
- I thought his little set, pat answers generally didn't work as well tonight.
- We don't give stock answers or pat replies to their questions and many players actually know our support staff by name!
- The reason this makes me want to wash my hands of humanity forever, even though I'm sure the person that says it means no harm by spouting this kind of pat answer.
- All you have are pat answers and glib retorts that turn out, on ten seconds' worth of thought, to be mindless platitudes.
- And so he would probably give his pat answer which is, you know pour me something tall and strong.
- You may have a pat answer to this one, because it's asked all the time: Why are the Rules of Golf so complicated?
- She doesn't come up with pat answers: Her character is as confused as the rest of who contain multitudes.
- There are no glib, pat answers that will provide comfort to people of faith in the face of such an overwhelming, needless tragedy, says Christian.
- Hers is a book for mature people who do not expect pat answers, who are willing to be disturbed by arguments instead of having their prejudices satisfied.
- I'm not sure that I can give a pat answer to that, or that any of us should give a pat answer as a description for any component of our lives.
- That's the normal life of folks at Catholic Answers, not the endless dispensation of pat answers.
- First, those who have either been conditioned out of thinking about such questions or else have glibly assimilated pat religious answers lead impoverished lives.
- It was clear that by that time they had gotten a few calls on the matter, and had a pat answer.
Synonyms glib, simple, simplistic, facile, slick, smooth, unconvincing, perfunctory
adverbpætpat At exactly the right moment or in the right way; conveniently or opportunely. the happy ending came rather pat Synonyms opportunely, conveniently, advantageously, at exactly the right moment, at just the right moment, expediently
Phrases 1Stick stubbornly to one's opinion or decision. many ranchers stood pat with the old strains of cattle Example sentencesExamples - The decision to stand pat highlights the lack of coordination between the BOJ and the government to pull the world's second-biggest economy out of recession.
- Tibco Software hasn't gotten to where it is - at the top of the heap of vendors of enterprise application integration software - by standing pat.
- Obviously no one will ever know whether or not the White Sox, if they had stood pat, would have caught the Indians, who went on to win the division title and the A.L. pennant before losing the World Series to the Florida Marlins.
- The Bruins opted to stand pat on their coach and shuffle players like so many playing cards.
- Baltimore stood pat in free agency, not signing a free agent other than those on their own roster.
- Even as an increasing number of Latinos, Asians and trade unionists defected to the Republicans, blacks stood pat with the Democrats.
- Two AFC South stalwarts that stood pat this offseason in the free-agent department figure to let it all hang out as they always do.
- The Seahawks are standing pat on offense and turning over five positions on defense.
- The dollar's drag could worsen if central banks in the U.S. and euro zone cut rates while the BOC stands pat.
- While other food companies in recent years have scrambled to slash costs, Nestlé has stood pat, insisting that robust sales growth was its top priority.
- In short, North Korea stands pat on its position that the whole issue has been ‘resolved.’
- Last spring, they stood pat at the March trading deadline with a lineup that finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference - and then were dumped unceremoniously in the first round of the playoffs by the bankrupt Penguins.
- With baseball's best record, the Cardinals elected to stand pat at the trade deadline.
- They screamed during the offseason for free-agent signings and other roster improvements while Reid largely stood pat.
- And the Senators pretty much stood pat with the powerhouse team of last season that came so close to the Stanley Cup finals.
- Depending on your viewpoint, the acquisitions boom can be taken as a positive demonstration that the industry is not standing pat as it doubles e-media bets already in place on fast-growing newspaper online operations.
- Bears They stood pat on defense but revamped their offense - especially if you include the return of injured quarterback.
- The most likely scenario is for the team to stand pat with its top pick, or perhaps slide back a few spots as it did in 2001.
- Arizona, with a payroll already stretching the club's resources to a budget-busting level, opted to stand pat, which is not a bad decision.
- With their own costs still growing at 7.5%, however, employers can't afford to stand pat.
- IBM, along with Intel Corp., is one of the few standing pat.
- The Titans also chose to go heavy on defense, standing pat on offense.
- Problems like these, the CENTURY concluded, would not be solved ‘by standing pat on the traditions under which the present absurd inequities have grown up’.
- 1.1(in poker and blackjack) retain one's hand as dealt, without drawing other cards.
Example sentencesExamples - The Capraesque ‘normal’ person stands pat with his neighborhood investment club while the financiers of Manhattan, driven by imaginary fears and wild superstitions, panic and flee.
- Eleven of his 14 picks are in the final four rounds, so it's unlikely Wolf will be able to move up more than a position or two in the first round - so he'll likely stand pat at the 14th pick and take the best defensive end.
- Likewise, if your No.2 wideout is set to face tough defenses in three consecutive weeks, don't stand pat and take that kind of scoring hit.
Memorized or mastered perfectly. she had the baby's medical routine down pat a guy who has his art history down cold Synonyms word-perfect, by heart, by rote, word for word, parrot-fashion, verbatim, by memory, memorized memorize, commit to memory, remember, retain, learn by heart, learn, learn by rote, impress on the memory, become word-perfect in
Origin Late 16th century: related to pat; apparently originally symbolic: a frequently found early use was hit pat (i.e. hit as if with flat blow). |