pate1
/peɪt
/noun archaic or humorous
A person’s head: he scratched his balding pate...
- In a survey of female students at UW, an overwhelming 92 per cent preferred a shaved head to a balding pate.
- He didn't want to have to deal with this now, but he had to, as a father, or even worse, as a spouse, so he scratched his balding pate and made his way upstairs wearily.
- Where once there were balding pates, Farah slacks and a few stiff upper lips, now there are highlights, designer gear and a whole lot of attitude.
Origin
Middle English: of unknown origin.
pâte2
/pɑːt/noun [mass noun]
The paste of which porcelain is made.
Origin
Mid 19th century: French, literally 'paste'.
pâté3
/ˈpateɪ/noun [mass noun]
A rich, savoury paste made from finely minced or mashed ingredients, typically seasoned meat or fish: salmon pâté [count noun]: home-made sausages and pâtés...
- The boards in question offered such starters as scallops wrapped in pancetta, black pudding and bacon salad, duck-liver pâté, moules marinières, two home-made soups and a few other things, all under a fiver.
- A gentle, embracing sweetness is baked into Bubba's chicken with chicken-liver pâté and mashed potatoes.
- I tried Parma ham, figs, prosciutto and pâté in the late Thirties, things the average family wouldn't taste until 30 years later.
Origin
French, from Old French paste 'pie of seasoned meat'.