patent

pa·tent

adj \ˈpat-^ənt, British usually ˈpāt-\

Definition of PATENT

1

: protected by a trademark or a trade name so as to establish proprietary rights analogous to those conveyed by a patent : proprietary <patent drugs>

2

\ˈpāt-\: affording free passage : being open and unobstructed <the nose patent with no pathological discharge—Journal of the American Medical Association>