patent (n.)

  1. a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention

    [ Syn: patent of invention ]

  2. an official document granting a right or privilege

    [ Syn: letters patent ]

    patent (adj.)

  1. (of a bodily tube or passageway) open; affording free passage; patent ductus arteriosus'

  2. clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment; the effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields; evident hostility; manifest disapproval; patent advantages; made his meaning plain; it is plain that he is no reactionary; in plain view

    [ Syn: apparent , evident , manifest , plain , unmistakable ]

    patent (v.)

  1. obtain a patent for; Should I patent this invention?'

  2. grant rights to; grant a patent for

  3. make open to sight or notice; His behavior has patented an embarrassing fact about him'

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.