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• pater
  pater

  noun

  father.
• Pater
  Pater

  noun

  Walter Horatio, 1839–94, English critic, essayist, and novelist.

pater

¹ American  

[pay-ter, pat-er] / ˈpeɪ tər, ˈpæt ər /

noun

• paters
  plural

1. British Informal. father.

2. (often initial capital letter) the paternoster; Lord's Prayer.

3. a recitation of it.

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Pater ² American  

[pay-ter] / ˈpeɪ tər /

noun

1. Walter Horatio, 1839–94, English critic, essayist, and novelist.

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Pater ¹ British  

/ ˈpeɪtə /

noun

1. Walter ( Horatio ). 1839–94, English essayist and critic, noted for his prose style and his advocation of the "love of art for its own sake". His works include the philosophical romance Marius the Epicurean (1885), Studies in the History of the Renaissance (1873), and Imaginary Portraits (1887)

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pater ² British  

/ ˈpeɪtə /

noun

1. facetious a public school slang word for father

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• paters
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pater

1300–50; Middle English < Latin: father

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pater Pater paters

For instance, we find closely matching terms in Latin with "pater," Sanskrit's "pitar" and in Greek with "patér" – all older languages that developed separately from the Germanic line.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2022

Yet critics maintain that the Packers have betrayed not only the country but also the pater familias of football: legendary Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2017

Cosby set Constand up on a meeting with Lou Weiss, a pater familias of the old WMA who retired in 2007.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2017

Liberia isn't the US, however, and while Mr Romney assuredly needed a humanising touch as well, the downside of playing up his role as pater familias was minimal compared to the challenges facing Mrs Clinton.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2015

“Mithras protects us! I am the pater of this brotherhood—” “The father,” Annabeth translated.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

The English champions led 14-0 at half-time thanks to efforts in tricky conditions by James Pater and Toby Thame.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Muratov read the works of those who had traveled on the Italian Grand Tour before him: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Walter Pater, Vernon Lee.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Seits and Pater trailed 8-4 in the second game but rallied for a 25-23 victory before dominating the third 15-8.

From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2024

"I was surprised by how quickly clouds disappeared on Neptune," de Pater added.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2023

Both Mater and Pater Lumley seemed to have slipped completely out of the picture the instant they dropped off little Penny at school.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

This single parent language – known as Proto Indo-European – spawned all these later languages and their shared word for paters.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2022

“Good man. But best not mention it to”—Hugo nodded through the garage wall—“the maters and the paters, or we'll spend the rest of the afternoon playing Ludo or the Game of Life under strict supervision.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Then he remained quite still for about five paters and aves, and smiled toward the ceiling.

From Without Dogma by Henryk Sienkiewicz

But I said my aves and paters to our Blessed Lady most dutifully.

From The Last of the Vikings by John Bowling

Promises in plenty; he rattles them off his tongue as glib as the old nuns do their paters; but if he opens his mouth he takes good care to keep his purse shut.

From Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 365, March, 1846 by Various

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