See Also: RIGHT PATENT(law)
PATENT(finance)
Patent(health)
patent(1)(dictionary)
patent(2)(dictionary)
patent(dictionary)
patent(encyclopedia)
Patent 1.6-8(law)
Patent(law)
Patent(money)

patent(2) (iou)



patent noun. LME.
[Ellipt. for letters patent: see PATENT adjective.]
A document constituting letters patent; esp. a licence from a government to an individual or organization conferring for a set period the sole right to make, use, or sell some process or invention; a right conferred in this way. LME.
G. Burnet They thought fit to take out a patent, which constituted them a body, by the name of the Royal Society. Scientific American The first patent on a living organism became the cornerstone of the biotechnology industry.
b. A papal licence or indulgence. Only in LME.
c. gen. An official certificate or licence; esp. a health certificate. E-M17.
fig. A sign of entitlement or possession; licence, permission, title. L16.
M. O. W. Oliphant That hand..was a patent of gentility.
An area of land conferred by letters patent. US. M17.
A process, invention, or commodity for which a patent has been taken out. M19.
Comb.: patent office an office which issues patents and where claims to patents are examined; patent-right the exclusive right conferred by letters patent; patent roll in Britain, a parchment roll containing the letters patent issued in any one year.
patenter noun (rare) = PATENTEE M17-L19.