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

Example Sentences

With his bald pate, dark-framed glasses and knowing demeanor, he has become one of the foremost chroniclers of the world’s media barons and Manhattan potentates.

From The Wall Street Journal

The resulting mess, he said, left him with no choice but to start over with a clean pate.

From Los Angeles Times

Hey, maybe the president will fall in love with the city over the next three years — and maybe Miller’s bald pate will grow hair worthy of Samson.

From Los Angeles Times

Bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich served in a baguette, typically filled with meat, pate, pickles and spicy sauces.

From BBC

The bread was thin and appropriately crumbly, the pate a nice thick schmear and the jalapeño provided quite a kick.

From Seattle Times