pate

¹ American  

[peyt] / peɪt /

noun

1. the crown or top of the head.

2. the head.

3. the brain.

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pâté ² American  

[pah-tey, pa‑, pah-tey, pa‑] / pɑˈteɪ, pæ‑, pɑˈteɪ, pæ‑ /

noun

plural

pâtés

1. French Cooking. a paste or spread made of puréed or finely chopped liver, meat, fish, game, etc., served as an hors d'oeuvre.

2. foie gras.

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pâte ³ American  

[paht] / pɑt /

noun

1. porcelain paste used in ceramic work.

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pâté ¹ British  

/ pɑte, ˈpæteɪ /

noun

1. a spread of very finely minced liver, poultry, etc, served usually as an hors d'oeuvre

2. a savoury pie of meat or fish

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pate ² British  

/ peɪt /

noun

1. the head, esp with reference to baldness or (in facetious use) intelligence

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Etymology

Origin of pate¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, of uncertain origin

Origin of pâté²

From French, dating back to 1695–1705; paste, -ee

Origin of pâte³

First recorded in 1860–65; from French: literally, “dough, batter, paste”; paste

Compare meaning

How does pate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• foie gras vs. pate