PATENT

I. adjective see: fathom Date: 14th century 1. open to public inspection, b. secured by letters ~ or by a ~ to the exclusive control and possession of a particular individual or party, protected by a ~ ; made under a ~ , protected by a trademark or a brand name so as to establish proprietary rights analogous to those conveyed by letters ~ or a ~ ; proprietary , of, relating to, or concerned with the granting of ~s especially for inventions , making exclusive or proprietary claims or pretensions, affording free passage ; unobstructed , patulous , spreading , accessible , exposed , readily visible or intelligible ; obvious , see: evident ~ly adverb II. noun Date: 14th century an official document conferring a right or privilege ; letters ~ , 2. a writing securing for a term of years the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention, the monopoly or right so granted, a ~ed invention, privilege , license , an instrument making a conveyance of public lands, ~ leather , III. transitive verb Date: 1675 to obtain or grant a ~ right to, to grant a privilege, right, or license to by ~, to obtain or secure by ~, ~ability noun ~able adjective