pat-down
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of pat-down
Noun use of verb phrase pat down
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.
Each stopped for a full-body pat-down before being directed to ascend the stairwell onto the plane.
From Slate
The report singled out Mesa Verde facility’s pat-down search policy as a particular cause for concern.
From Los Angeles Times
During each, the men lined up in pairs with their hands clasped behind their backs, submitted to a brief pat-down, and trudged with their heads down into basement shelters until the all-clear.
From Seattle Times
While metal-detecting wands were used on some people, others simply faced a pat-down, while Gordon's bag was not searched at all, the trial heard.
From BBC
The goal of the service is to let travelers fix the security issues that would ordinarily require a pat-down or secondary screening by TSA officers.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
