(often initial capital letters) a governmental agency that administers and regulates patents and trademarks, in the U.S. forming a division of the Department of Commerce.
a government department that issues patents Pat. Off
[pat-n-ter, pat-n-tawr or, esp. British, peyt-, peyt-] /ˈpæt n tər, ˌpæt nˈtɔr or, esp. British, ˈpeɪt-, ˌpeɪt-/ noun 1. a person or official agency that grants . /ˌpeɪtənˈtɔː; ˌpæ-/ noun 1. a person who or official body that grants a patent or patents
noun 1. the exclusive right granted by a patent, as on an invention. noun 1. the exclusive right granted by a patent
- Patent rolls
plural noun 1. (in Britain) the register of patents issued
noun, British. 1. . noun 1. a railway having a rolling cradle for hauling ships out of water onto land and returning them. noun 1. another term for slipway (sense 2)