pat·ty-cake
| \ ˈpa-tē-ˌkāk
\
\
variants:
or pat-a-cake \
ˈpa-də-ˌkāk
, ˈpat-ə-
\
, ˈpat-ə-
\
Definition of patty-cake
: a game in which two participants (such as mother and child) clap their hands together to the rhythm of an accompanying nursery rhyme
Buying Guide
Stimulate young minds with these best toys for babies.
Learn More About patty-cake
Statistics for patty-cake
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Patty-cake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patty-cake. Accessed 25 May. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Name That Color
-
- Name that color:
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
-
You're (Probably) Saying It Wrong
18 words even you might be mispronouncing
-
Great Big List of Beautiful & Useless Words
Along with their degrees of usefulness
-
12 French Phrases from Downton Abbey
Many of us have an 'idée fixe'
-
Rare and Amusing Insults, Volume 2
Sometimes a 'cacafuego' can be a real 'slubberdeg...
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
The Great British Vocabulary Quiz
Make sure you know the difference between a loo a...
Take the quiz
-
Face Your Fears
Don't be scared to answer these questions about f...
Take the quiz
-
Yearbook Superlatives Quiz
"Most Likely to Use Obscure Words"
Take the quiz
-
Lexigo
Find the hidden words by solving the clues
Take the quiz
Share patty-cake
Time Traveler for patty-cake
The first known use of patty-cake was in 1889
See more words from the same year