Main Entry: pa·tent

Pronunciation: \ˈpat-^ənt, British usually ˈpāt-\

Function: adjective

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>