any of various kinds of footwear, as a wooden shoe, a shoe with a wooden sole, a chopine, etc., to protect the feet from mud or wetness.
a separate sole attached to a shoe or boot for this purpose.
Building Trades. any stand or support, especially one of a number resting on unbroken ground as a substitute for a foundation.
1350–1400; Middle English paten < Middle French patin wooden shoe, perhaps derivative of pate paw
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Saturday.—Grandfather took us down street to be measured for some new patten leather shoes at Mr. Ambler’s.
From Village Life in America 1852-1872 Including the period of the American Civil War as told in the diary of a school-girl by Richards, Caroline Cowles
In reality, patten is derived from the French word patin, which has a varied meaning of the sole of a shoe or a skate.
From Two Centuries of Costume in America, Volume 1 (1620-1820) by Earle, Alice Morse
A similar contrivance, with the addition of an iron ring, leather strap and toe-cap, is still sometimes worn by farm servants, and is called a patten.
From The Evolution of Fashion by Gardiner, Florence Mary
There is a most ungallant old riddle, "Why is a wife like a patten?"
From Two Centuries of Costume in America, Volume 1 (1620-1820) by Earle, Alice Morse
The patten now supports each frugal dame, Which from the blue-eyed Patty takes the name.
From Memoir of Jane Austen by Austen-Leigh, James Edward
Deadline and the Hollywood Reporter have since reported that Adria Arjona, Eva De Dominici, Sydney Chandler and Grace Van Patten are among the actors testing for that role in the “Superman” sequel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Anna Van Patten, who starred with sister Grace in The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, is joining the cast for the new season.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026
Meanwhile, Great Britain's Henry Patten and Finnish partner Harri Helioevaara were beaten 6-4 6-2 in the final of the men's doubles by Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
"With our tail between our legs, we drove back to Dubai - but that was quite upsetting because mentally it took me quite a lot to commit to that road trip to Muscat," Patten said.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
The news was circulated, and in less than two hours, twenty of the best and most experienced men at Mesa and Jonesville were on the road, taking Patten back with them.
From Life of Heber C. Kimball, an Apostle The Father and Founder of the British Mission by Whitney, Orson F.
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.
