patent still
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of patent still
so called because a still of this type was patented in 1830
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"No," he admitted, "not in the form that you have used it; but here is the trick that covers the principle, and this patent still has four years to run."
From Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford by Chester, George Randolph
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.