- [usually singular] a gentle friendly touch with your open hand or with a flat object
- a pat on the head
- He gave her knee an affectionate pat.
- He gave the dog a pat.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- affectionate
- friendly
- reassuring
- …
- give somebody/something
- pat on
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- pat of butter a small, soft, flat piece of butter
- baked potatoes with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of paprika
Word Originnoun late Middle English (as a noun denoting a blow with something flat): probably imitative. The verb dates from the mid 16th cent.
Idioms
See pat in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarya pat on the back (for something/for doing something)
- (informal) praise or approval for something that you have done well
- He deserves a pat on the back for all his hard work.
- Give yourself a pat on the back!
Check pronunciation:
pat