From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpatentpa‧tent1 /ˈpeɪtnt, ˈpæ- $ ˈpæ-/ noun [countable, uncountable]BBSCL a special document that gives you the right to make or sell a new invention or product that no one else is allowed to copy → copyrightpatent on/for He applied for a patent for a new method of removing paint. He wants to take out a patent on his new type of dustbin. The drugs are protected by patent.
Examples from the Corpus
patent• He had a patent and had earned millions of dollars in royalties.• However, spilled milk and out-dated patents are two things equally useless, so I shall catch the late train tomorrow.• The Megan and Morag experiments also enabled us to apply for patents.• It is essential that any ideas and development work concerning a possible future patent application are kept absolutely secret and confidential.• At about the time of the exhibition, it emerged that the firm was infringing the Medlock patent.• The United States patent and trademark office has granted three patents to RiceTec of Texas.• It is indoctrination Misguided pride leaves us impervious to any version of success that does not bear the patent of our system.patent on/for• Roebuck was very interested in Watt's invention and suggested that he take out a patent for it.• In 1884, Richards received a patent on a new type of bicycle.• There are also patents on varieties of seeds and plants, as well as unusual genes and cell lines from indigenous peoples.• Undaunted by this set-back, Nicholson successfully negotiated the rights to the Medlock patent for the considerable sum of £2000.• In 1836 Baxter received a royal patent for his printing process.• Bristol-Myers Squibb holds the patent on stavudine under the brand name Zerit.patentpatent2 adjective [only before noun] 1 SCLprotected by a patent a patent lock2 → patent lie/nonsense/impossibility etc → patentlyExamples from the Corpus
patent• Her reluctance to go made her heart ache, but the truth was patent.• This entitled them to bring a patent action against the buyers to enforce the patent.• Footwear first, of course: Gucci patent leather, square-toed boots are in.patentpatent3 verb [transitive] to obtain a special document giving you the right to make or sell a new invention or product → copyright→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
patent• Cox made millions by patenting a device used in steel production.• He was scarcely out of school before he had patented a rock-boring machine for coal mines.• The advantage of tera-ethyl lead was that it could be patented and royalties charged.• For the outside walls, he used cinder-block masonry, with a patented concrete stucco sprayed on.• Healthcare companies are scrambling to patent the new approach first.• They patented the Sam Torrance Putter and Sam signed a contract.• They took Joly's method a step further when they patented their autochrome system in 1904.From Longman Business Dictionarypatentpa‧tent1 /ˈpeɪtnt, ˈpæ-ˈpæ-/ noun [countable]LAW1a legal document giving a person or company the right to make or sell a new invention, product, or method of doing something and stating that no other person or company is allowed to do thisWe believe our patent covers the actual commercial process used in making the new drug.allegedpatent infringement (=breaking the law by using a product, idea etc without permission)McAfee has filed a patent (=making it official) for delivering security software as a service over the Web.2patent pending (also patent applied for) used to say that someone has asked for a patentAlthough the company has a patent pending on its product, it doesn’t plan on keeping it.patentpatent2 verb [transitive]LAW to obtain a patent, protecting the rights to make or sell a new invention, product, or method of doing somethingThe drug is owned and patented by Hoffmann-La Roche. —patented adjective [only before a noun]patented heat-transfer technologyThe easiest way to earn money from a patented invention is to license someone else to use it, and collect royalties.→ See Verb tableOrigin patent2 (1300-1400) French Latin, present participle of patere “to be open” 