pat

pat1 [ pæt ] verb transitive *

to touch someone gently several times with a flat hand to show that you care about them or want to make them feel better:

Stella patted his knee reassuringly.

He patted the girl on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

a. if you pat your hair or skin you touch it gently to make it smooth, neat, or dry:

He patted his already immaculate hair.

After washing, pat your face dry with a soft towel.

b. to touch something gently with a flat hand to draw attention to it, or to check that something is where you placed it:

I'm hungry , he said, patting his stomach.

Come and sit here, she said, patting the seat beside her.

He patted his pants pocket to see if his keys were there.

c. if you pat an animal such as a dog or a horse, you touch it gently several times with a flat hand in a friendly way

pat someone on the back

to praise someone for doing something good:

I mentally patted myself on the back for managing to keep my cool.

pat

pat 2 [ pæt ] noun count

1. ) the action of gently touching someone or something several times with a flat hand:

Nina gave the dog a friendly pat on the head.

2. ) a small flat piece of butter

a pat on the back INFORMAL

praise for having done something good:

Lee deserves a pat on the back for being so honest.

Give yourselves a pat on the back. You've done very well.

pat

pat 3 [ pæt ] adjective

pat answers or explanations sound as though they have been used many times before and are not sincere:

His words sounded a little too pat.

He gave her his usual pat excuses.

pat

pat 4 [ pæt ] adverb

have something down pat

to know something so well that you can say it, perform it, etc. without thinking about it:

By the end of the week, I had my part down pat.

stand pat

to refuse to change your decision or opinion