■ plural noun an open document issued by a monarch or government conferring a patent or other right.
Origin
ME: from med. L. litterae patentes , lit. 'letters lying open'.
■ plural noun an open document issued by a monarch or government conferring a patent or other right.
Origin
ME: from med. L. litterae patentes , lit. 'letters lying open'.
Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004