pâté

1 of 3

noun (1)

pâ·​té pä-ˈtā How to pronounce pâté (audio)
pa-
variants or less commonly pate
1
: a spread of finely chopped or pureed seasoned meat
chicken liver pâté
2
: a meat or fish pie or patty

pate

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
: head
A hat covered his bald pate.
2
: the crown of the head
combed his hair across his pate
3
usually disparaging : brain
pated adjective

pâte

3 of 3

noun (3)

Examples of pâté in a Sentence

Noun (2) plopped a cap on his bald pate
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The potential for a perfect pate, and all that comes with it, is only as limited as a stylist’s skill set. John Ortved, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024 Note also that prior outbreaks have been associated with other foods, including cole slaw, milk, butter, pate, sprouts and cantaloupes. Mark Kortepeter, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 The chicken banh mi is delicious and wrong: Plenty of shredded chicken and a smear of pate don’t have enough pickled carrot and cilantro and hot pepper to hit the balance of the Vietnamese icon. Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Her moi moi was perfectly done, tender, smooth as pate and spicy like fire. Emiene Wright, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024 Enlarge / Hitman 3's Dubai level, with Agent 47's pleasant pate moving through the crowd. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 19 Jan. 2023 Wine tastings are offered and favorites can be ordered by the glass or by the bottle, along with cheeses and pates, at The Hayloft, a wine bar with a stunning lake view. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2024 Specialty pies vary from the ubiquitous pepperoni and hot honey to the Lake Monster, which features whitefish pate, capers, dill and more. Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024 The charcuterie plate features proteins like soppressata and pate while the cheese plate is customizable for the customer. Alex Darus, cleveland, 11 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pâté.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

French, from Middle French pasté — more at pasty

Noun (2)

Middle English

Noun (3)

French, literally, paste, from Old French paste

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1706, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1863, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pâté was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pâté

Cite this Entry

“Pâté.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/p%C3%A2t%C3%A9. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pate

noun
: head entry 1 sense 1
especially : the top of the head
pated adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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