pats; patted; patting
1
: to lightly touch (someone or something) with your hand usually several times in order to show affection or approval or to provide comfort
The child gently patted the dog's head.
He patted my knee and told me everything would be fine.
—often + onHe patted me on my knee.
2
a
: to flatten, smooth, or shape (something) by lightly pressing on it with your hand
He patted his hair down.
She patted the dough into a square.
b
: to lightly press (something) several times until it is dry
He patted the lettuce dry with a paper towel.
plural pats
1
: an act of lightly touching someone or something with your hand to show affection or approval
The teacher smiled and gave the boy a pat on the head. [=the teacher patted the boy on the head]
She gave the dog a quick pat.
2
: a small, flat, usually square piece of something (such as butter)
a pat of butter
: learned completely or perfectly
(US) She has her lines down pat.
(Brit) He had his story off pat.
disapproving
: said or done without any real thought or effort to be truthful or original
a pat response
The movie's pat ending was a disappointment.
His explanation was too pat to be believable.
Cite this Entry
“Pat.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/pat. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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