patio

[pat-ee-oh, pah-tee-oh]

noun

plural

patios 

1. an area, usually paved, adjoining a house and used as an area for outdoor lounging, dining, etc.

2. a courtyard, especially of a house, enclosed by low buildings or walls.

patio

/ ˈpætɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. an open inner courtyard, esp one in a Spanish or Spanish-American house

2. an area adjoining a house, esp one that is paved and used for outdoor activities

Word History and Origins

Origin of patio¹

1820–30, < Spanish, Old Spanish: courtyard, perhaps originally open area; compare Medieval Latin patium meadow, pasturage, perhaps derivative of Latin *patitus, past participle of patēre to lie open. See patent

Word History and Origins

Origin of patio¹

C19: from Spanish: courtyard

Example Sentences

In a police pursuit, authorities were unsuccessful at stopping the speeding driver before he lost control of the car and slammed into the bar's outdoor patio, the Tampa Police Department said in a statement.

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Last time he hosted Thanksgiving, Tim said about 47 people showed up, and the tables stretched all the way outside onto the back patio.

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He works many days from a patio table overlooking Miami’s Intracoastal Waterway.

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Other changes include his decision in August to pave over grass in the iconic Rose Garden with stone, transforming a lawn into a patio.

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A rooftop patio extends the experience upward, while a separate guesthouse and lighted tennis court offer additional flexibility for hosting and outdoor recreation.

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Related Words

• balcony 
• courtyard 
• deck 
• veranda