patent
/ˈpætnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpætnt/ (ame, ipa) · /senses 1–3 are ˈpa-tᵊnt chiefly British ˈpā-; sense 4 ˈpā-; sense 5 ˈpā-, ˈpa-; senses 6–7 ˈpa-, ˈpā- British usually/ (ame, mw) · /ˈpeɪ.tənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpæt.ənt/ (ame, ipa)
patent — noun
- patentsingular
- patentsplural
1. a legal protection for a set number of years that gives one inventor or company
a legal protection for a set number of years that gives one inventor or company sole control over how an invention is produced, used, and marketed; also the paper proving that protection.
After five years of tests, the team finally received a patent.
common verbs: receive / apply for / hold a patent
Without a patent, smaller firms could copy the new battery design.
Dr. Lin sold the patent to a medical company in Osaka.
The startup filed a patent application for its low-cost water filter.
Nexa Medical's patent runs for twenty years from its 2024 filing date.
- exclusive right
a broad legal phrase for sole control; less specific than patent
- patent right
formal legal wording for the right created by a patent
- monopoly
used in legal or economic discussion to stress sole control, not the document
- public domain
used for material or ideas that anyone may use freely
文法句型
have a patent on + [invention]
apply for a patent
patent for + [product/process]
用法筆記
Often appears with verbs such as 'apply for', 'grant', 'hold', and 'sell'. In business and legal English, 'patent' may mean either the right itself or the paper that proves it.
常見錯誤
2. a type of leather with a hard, shiny surface, often used for formal shoes, bags,
a type of leather with a hard, shiny surface, often used for formal shoes, bags, and belts.
The dance shoes used black patent with a soft cloth lining.
fashion material: black patent
Lina wiped the patent leather on her wedding heels before packing them away.
The shop window showed red patent bags beside plain brown boots.
Many school shoes mix patent with normal leather for extra shine.
- patent leather
the full and more usual name of the material
- glossy leather
a descriptive phrase, not the exact material name
文法句型
made of patent
patent with + [other material]
用法筆記
Usually used in the fixed phrase 'patent leather'. In fashion writing, 'patent' by itself can name the material when the item is already clear from context.
常見錯誤
patent — verb
- patentpresent simple I / you / we / they
- patents3rd person singular
- patenting-ing form
- patentedpast simple
1. to obtain legal protection for an invention by officially registering it so that
to obtain legal protection for an invention by officially registering it so that others cannot copy or sell it without permission.
The company patented the toy after children loved the first model.
patent + [product]
Maya hopes to patent her water-saving shower head next year.
Several labs raced to patent the same cancer test.
Ken patented the folding bike frame before showing it abroad.
The inventors patented a safer ladder for small apartments.
- register
stresses the formal filing step more than the legal result
- protect
much broader; does not always mean through patent law
- secure rights to
phrase that emphasizes gaining legal control
- release
to make something available without keeping exclusive legal control
文法句型
patent + [invention/design/process/device]
用法筆記
The object is usually an invention, design, process, device, or method. The subject is often an inventor, research team, or company rather than the invention itself.
常見錯誤
patent — adjective
- patentpositive
- more patentcomparative
- most patentsuperlative
1. so easy to notice or understand that it cannot reasonably be missed.
so easy to notice or understand that it cannot reasonably be missed.
The bill contained a patent error in the final total.
formal collocation: patent error / patent mistake
There was patent fear on the boy's face during the storm.
Her patent dislike of the meal upset the family cook.
The report showed a patent lack of care in the factory.
The witness told a patent lie about where he spent Friday.
文法句型
patent + noun
用法筆記
Formal and usually placed before a noun. In everyday speech and writing, 'obvious' or 'clear' is much more common.
常見錯誤
2. describing an invention or product whose legal protection keeps other people or
describing an invention or product whose legal protection keeps other people or companies from copying it for production or sale.
Only one lab can sell the patent drug in Japan.
before noun in legal or business writing
Investors were excited by the firm's patent process for clean steel.
The court protected the patent design from cheap copies overseas.
GreenRiver's patent invention cut farm water use by half.
The deal covered a patent machine used in small hospitals.
- unpatented
not protected by a patent
文法句型
patent + invention/process/design/product
用法筆記
Mainly found before a noun in legal or business writing. After 'be', English usually prefers 'patented' rather than 'patent'.