/pay"tree euht, -ot'/ or, esp. Brit., /pa"tree euht/ , n.
1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.
2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.
3. ( cap. ) Mil. a U.S. Army antiaircraft missile with a range of 37 mi. (60 km) and a 200-lb. (90 kg) warhead, launched from a tracked vehicle with radar and computer guidance and fire control.
[ 1590-1600; patriote patriota patriótes fellow-countryman, lineage member ]