Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Browse Nearby Entries
patent
Sponsored Links Intellectual Prop. Mgmt
Protect Your Intellectual Property w/ Iron Mountain's Escrow Services.
www.IronMountain.com
Intellectual Property
Prevent Loss of Product Designs & Specifications on PC & over the Web
www.NEXTLABS.com
How To Patent Your Idea
Request Your Free Patent Kit Now. Get Real Success With Your Patent.
www.InventionHome.com
13 dictionary results for: Patent
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
pat·ent       [pat-nt or, for 10, 12–15, peyt-; especially Brit. peyt-nt] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.the exclusive right granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years.
2.an invention or process protected by this right.
3.an official document conferring such a right; letters patent.
4.the instrument by which the government of the United States conveys the legal fee-simple title to public land.
5.patent leather.
–adjective patent(for 10, 12–15.)
6.protected by a patent; patented: a patent cooling device.
7.pertaining to, concerned with, or dealing with patents, esp. on inventions: a patent attorney; patent law.
8.conferred by a patent, as a right or privilege.
9.holding a patent, as a person.
10.readily open to notice or observation; evident; obvious: a patent breach of good manners.
11.made of patent leather: patent shoes.
12.lying open; not enclosed or shut in: a patent field.
13.Chiefly Botany. expanded or spreading.
14.open, as a doorway or a passage.
15.Phonetics. open, in various degrees, to the passage of the breath stream.
–verb (used with object)
16.to take out a patent on; obtain the exclusive rights to (an invention, process, etc.) by a patent.
17.to originate and establish as one's own.
18.Metallurgy. to heat and quench (wire) so as to prepare for cold-drawing.
19.to grant (public land) by a patent.
[Origin: 1250–1300; (adj.) ME < L patent- (s. of paténs) open, orig. prp. of patére to stand wide open; (n.) ME, short for letters patent, trans. of ML litterae patentés open letters]

—Related forms
pat·ent·a·ble, adjective
pat·ent·a·bil·i·ty, noun
pat·ent·a·bly, adverb
pa·tent·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 10. clear, palpable, conspicuous, unconcealed. See apparent.
—Antonyms 10. dim, obscure, hidden.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Sponsored Links Intellectual Prop. Mgmt
Protect Your Intellectual Property w/ Iron Mountain's Escrow Services.
www.IronMountain.com
Intellectual Property
Prevent Loss of Product Designs & Specifications on PC & over the Web
www.NEXTLABS.com
How To Patent Your Idea
Request Your Free Patent Kit Now. Get Real Success With Your Patent.
www.InventionHome.com
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pat·ent       (pāt'nt)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
    1. A grant made by a government that confers upon the creator of an invention the sole right to make, use, and sell that invention for a set period of time.
    2. Letters patent.
    3. An invention protected by such a grant.
    4. A grant made by a government that confers on an individual fee-simple title to public lands.
    5. The official document of such a grant.
    6. The land so granted.
    1. A grant made by a government that confers on an individual fee-simple title to public lands.
    2. The official document of such a grant.
    3. The land so granted.
  3. An exclusive right or title.

adj.  
    1. Protected or conferred by a patent or letters patent: a patent right.
    2. Of, relating to, or dealing in patents: patent law.
    3. Not blocked; open.
    4. Spreading open; expanded.
  2. also (pāt'nt) Obvious; plain. See Synonyms at apparent.
  3. (pāt'nt) Biology
    1. Not blocked; open.
    2. Spreading open; expanded.
  4. Of, relating to, or being a nonprescription drug or other medical preparation that is often protected by a trademark.
  5. Of high quality. Used of flour.
  6. also (pāt'nt) Archaic Open to general inspection. Used especially of documents.

tr.v.   pat·ent·ed, pat·ent·ing, pat·ents
  1. To obtain a patent on or for (an invention, for example).
  2. To invent, originate, or be the proprietor of (an idea, for example).
  3. To grant a patent to or for.


[Middle English, document granting a right, short for (lettre) patent, open (letter), from Old French (lettre) patente, from Latin patēns, patent-, open, present participle of patēre, to be open; see petə- in Indo-European roots.]

pat'ent·a·bil'i·ty n., pat'ent·a·ble adj.
(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
patent  (n.)
1376, "open letter or document from some authority," shortened form of Anglo-Fr. lettre patent (also in M.L. (litteræ) patentes), lit. "open letter" (1292), from O.Fr. patente (adj.), from L. patentum (nom. patens) "open, lying open," prp. of patere "lie open, be open," from PIE *pet- "to spread" (cf. Gk. petannynai "to spread out," petalon "leaf," O.N. faðmr "embrace, bosom," O.E. fæðm "embrace, fathom").
"The Letters Patent were ... written upon open sheets of parchment, with the Great Seal pendent at the bottom ... [while] the 'Litteræ Clausæ,' or Letters Close, ... being of a more private nature, and addressed to one or two individuals only, were closed or folded up and sealed on the outside." [S.R. Scargill-Bird, "A Guide to the Principal Classes of Documents at the Public Record Office," 1891]
The adj. sense of "open to view, plain, clear" is first recorded 1508; the verb "to obtain right to land" is attested from 1675. The meaning "copyright an invention" is first recorded 1822, from earlier meaning "obtain exclusive right or monopoly" (1789), a privilege granted by the Crown via letters patent.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
patent

adjective
1. (of a bodily tube or passageway) open; affording free passage; "patent ductus arteriosus" 
2. clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment; "the effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields"; "evident hostility"; "manifest disapproval"; "patent advantages"; "made his meaning plain"; "it is plain that he is no reactionary"; "in plain view" [syn: apparent] 

noun
1. a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention 
2. an official document granting a right or privilege 

verb
1. obtain a patent for; "Should I patent this invention?" 
2. grant rights to; grant a patent for 
3. make open to sight or notice; "His behavior has patented an embarrassing fact about him" 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

patent pat·ent (pāt'nt)
n.

  1. A grant made by a government that confers upon the creator of an invention the sole right to make, use, and sell that invention for a set period of time.
  2. An invention protected by such a grant.
adj.
  1. Of, relating to, or being a nonprescription drug or other medical preparation that is often protected by a trademark.
  2. (pāt'nt) Not blocked; open.
  3. (pāt'nt ) Spreading open; expanded.
v. pat·ent·ed, pat·ent·ing, pat·ents
  1. To obtain a patent on or for something, such as an invention.
  2. To invent, originate, or be the proprietor of an idea.
  3. To grant a patent to somone or for something.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Investopedia - Cite This Source - Share This

Patent

A government license that gives the holder exclusive rights to a process, design, or new invention for a designated period of time.

Investopedia Commentary

In the United States most patents are valid for 17 years.

Related Links

The Hidden Value Of Intangibles
Great Expectations: Forecasting Sales Growth

See also: Goodwill, Intangible Asset, Tangible Asset

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: pat·ent
Pronunciation: 'pat-&nt 3 also 'pAt-
Function: adjective
Etymology: Anglo-French, from Latin patent- patens, from present participle of patEre to be open
1 a : open to public inspection —see also letters patent at LETTER 2 b : secured or protected by a patent patent license to produce and sell the product> patent rights against infringement>
2 : of, relating to, or concerned with the granting of patents esp. for inventions patent lawyer> patent litigation>
3 : readily seen, discovered, or understood patent defect> patent> —compare LATENT —pat·ent·ly adverb

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: pat·ent
Pronunciation: 'pat-&nt
Function: noun
1 : an official document conferring a right or privilege : LETTERS PATENT at, LETTER
2 a : the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention or products made by an invented process that is granted to an inventor and his or her heirs or assigns for a term of years —see also intellectual property at PROPERTY —compare COPYRIGHT, TRADEMARK
NOTE: A patent may be granted for a process, act, or method that is new, useful, and not obvious, for a new use of a known process, machine, or composition of matter or material, as well as for an asexually reproduced distinct and new variety of plant (excluding one propagated from a tuber), and for any new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. Design patents are issued for a term of 14 years. Patents issuing on applications made after June 8, 1995, for basic or plant patents (excluding design patents) are for a term of 20 years from the date of application. An inventor can file a provisional patent application, which requires less documentation and lower fees than a regular application, before reducing the invention to practice. This allows the inventor to claim “patent pending” status for the invention and to establish an earlier filing date and priority of the invention. A regular patent application must be made within a year of the provisional application or it will expire. Patents are considered personal property and may be sold, assigned, or otherwise transferred. Under common law, if a patented invention or discovery is made while the inventor is working for a company, and is made on company time with company facilities and materials, the employer receives an irrevocable, nonassignable, nonexclusive, royalty-free license to use it. Often an employee is required contractually to assign his or her patent to the employer. b : the writing securing such a right patent in the mail> c : a patented invention patent —Internal Revenue Code>
3 : an instrument making a conveyance of public lands patent to each of said Indians for the village or town lot occupied by him —U.S. Code> —see also fee patent at FEE 1

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: pat·ent
Function: transitive verb
: to obtain or grant a right to (something) by a patent patented to the railroad>; specifically : to protect the rights to (an invention) by a patent patented>

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Holland Patent, NY (village, FIPS 35144) Location: 43.24175 N, 75.25745 W
Population (1990): 411 (188 housing units)
Area: 1.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 13354

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Patent

Pat"ent\ (p[a^]t"ent or p[=a]t"ent), a. [L. patens, -entis, p. pr. of patere to be open: cf. F. patent. Cf. Fathom.]

1.

Note: (Oftener pronounced p[=a]t"ent in this sense) Open; expanded; evident; apparent; unconcealed; manifest; public; conspicuous.

He had received instructions, both patent and secret. --Motley.

2. Open to public perusal; -- said of a document conferring some right or privilege; as, letters patent. See Letters patent, under 3d Letter.

3. Appropriated or protected by letters patent; secured by official authority to the exclusive possession, control, and disposal of some person or party; patented; as, a patent right; patent medicines.

Madder . . . in King Charles the First's time, was made a patent commodity. --Mortimer.

4. (Bot.) Spreading; forming a nearly right angle with the steam or branch; as, a patent leaf.

Patent leather, a varnished or lacquered leather, used for boots and shoes, and in carriage and harness work.

Patent office, a government bureau for the examination of inventions and the granting of patents.

Patent right. (a) The exclusive right to an invention, and the control of its manufacture. (b) (Law) The right, granted by the sovereign, of exclusive control of some business of manufacture, or of the sale of certain articles, or of certain offices or prerogatives.

Patent rolls, the registers, or records, of patents.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Patent

Pat"ent\, n. [Cf. F. patente. See Patent, a.]

1. A letter patent, or letters patent; an official document, issued by a sovereign power, conferring a right or privilege on some person or party. Specifically: (a) A writing securing to an invention. (b) A document making a grant and conveyance of public lands.

Four other gentlemen of quality remained mentioned in that patent. --Fuller.

Note: In the United States, by the act of 1870, patents for inventions are issued for seventeen years, without the privilege of renewal except by act of Congress.

2. The right or privilege conferred by such a document; hence, figuratively, a right, privilege, or license of the nature of a patent.

If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her patent to offend. --Shak.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Patent

Pat"ent\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Patented; p. pr. & vb. n. Patenting.] To grant by patent; to make the subject of a patent; to secure or protect by patent; as, to patent an invention; to patent public lands.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Share This:Share This: digg.comShare This: ma.gnolia.comShare This: www.stumbleupon.comShare This: del.icio.usShare This: FacebookShare This: favorites.live.comShare This: www.technorati.comShare This: furl.netShare This: myweb2.search.yahoo.comShare This: www.google.com
Sponsored Links Intellectual Prop. Mgmt
Protect Your Intellectual Property w/ Iron Mountain's Escrow Services.
www.IronMountain.com
Intellectual Property
Prevent Loss of Product Designs & Specifications on PC & over the Web
www.NEXTLABS.com
How To Patent Your Idea
Request Your Free Patent Kit Now. Get Real Success With Your Patent.
www.InventionHome.com
Want to Patent Your Idea?
We have helped our clients secure over 7,000 US Patents. Free Info!
www.InventHelp.com/patents
Brand protection
Stop brand and revenue erosion with NewMo brand protection
www.Newmo.com