patent office

noun

: a government office for examining claims to patents and granting patents

Examples of patent office in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Sixteen years later, on the same day that Bell filed for a patent, the electrical engineer Elisha Gray filed paperwork with the patent office as well. — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026 In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell beat him to the patent office by just hours with plans for a telephone. — USA Today, 21 July 2026 Bell reached the patent office mere hours before Gray and won the famous battle over the invention when his patent was passed on March 7, 1876. — Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026 Advertisement Earlier in the day, Bloomberg Law reported that the patent office laid off about 1% of its employees—a move that may not be shutdown-related, given that the agency is self-funded. — Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for patent office

Word History

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of patent office was in 1696

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Cite this Entry

“Patent office.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patent%20office. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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