patent

From Wiktionary

Pronunciation[change]

  • (US) enPR: pătʹənt or pātʹənt, IPA (key): /ˈpætənt/ or [pʰæ̝ʔn̩t] or /ˈpeɪ-/ or [pʰe̞ɪ-]
  • (UK) IPA (key): /ˈpeɪtənt/ or /ˈpæ-/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: pa‧tent

Noun[change]

Singular
patent

Plural
patents

  1. (countable) A patent is a way of protecting an invention from being stolen.
    Thomas Edison had over 2000 patents.

Verb[change]

Plain form
patent

Third-person singular
patents

Past tense
patented

Past participle
patented

Present participle
patenting

  1. To patent means to get a patent on an invention
    Thomas Edison patented the light bulb and the phonograph.