Pat

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /pæt/

Definitions

1. A gentle, quick touch made with the hand ; a small amount or portion of something ; to express approval or praise in a brief manner
2. A soft tap given usually to show affection or reassurance ; a minor quantity or fragment of an item ; to give a short commendation or compliment
3. A quick, light stroke using the palm or fingers ; a tiny piece or sample of a substance ; to show approval by a short, friendly gesture or remark

Etymology: The sound of "pat" is older than the word. It comes from a Germanic root meaning "to strike, beat," which appears across the North Sea languages in forms like Middle Dutch "plat," meaning a smack or blow, and Middle High German "blaz," a resounding bang. English had a blunt, noisy word for a hit, and over time it softened into something gentler. The shrinking happened through a dropped consonant. Scots "plat," meaning a blow or buffet, was the sturdier ancestor, while the verb "platten" or "pletten," meaning to pat, lost its middle "l" and became "pat." Dropping a medial "l" is a known pattern in English, seen also in "patch" from "platch" and "pate" from "plate." The strong slap of the Germanic root was gradually replaced by the light, repeated tap that the word describes today.

Synonyms: tap, stroke, touch, hit, slap

Antonyms: hit hard, strike, punch