To strike gently with the fingers or hand; to stroke lightly; to tap; as, to pat a dog. [1913 Webster]
"Gay pats my shoulder, and you vanish quite." [1913 Webster]

1.  A light, quik blow or stroke with the fingers or hand; a tap. [1913 Webster]

2.  A small mass, as of butter, shaped by pats. [1913 Webster]
"It looked like a tessellated work of pats of butter." [1913 Webster]

   Exactly suitable; fit; convenient; timely. Barrow. [1913 Webster]

   In a pat manner. [1913 Webster]
"I foresaw then 't would come in pat hereafter." [1913 Webster]

pat, n. a nickname for an Irishman.

Etymology:
abbr. of the name Patrick

pat, v. & n.
--v. (patted, patting)
1 tr. strike gently with the hand or a flat surface.
2 tr. flatten or mould by patting.
3 tr. strike gently with the inner surface of the hand, esp. as a sign of affection, sympathy, or congratulation.
4 intr. (foll. by on, upon) beat lightly.
--n.
1 a light stroke or tap, esp. with the hand in affection etc.
2 the sound made by this.
3 a small mass (esp. of butter) formed by patting.

Idiom:
pat-a-cake a child's game with the patting of hands (the first words of a nursery rhyme). pat on the back a gesture of approval or congratulation. pat a person on the back congratulate a person.

pat, adj. & adv.
--adj.
1 known thoroughly and ready for any occasion.
2 apposite or opportune, esp. unconvincingly so (gave a pat answer).
--adv.
1 in a pat manner.
2 appositely, opportunely.

Idiom:
have off pat know or have memorized perfectly. stand pat esp. US
1 stick stubbornly to one's opinion or decision.
2 Poker retain one's hand as dealt; not draw other cards.

Derivative:
patly adv. patness n.

pat, n.

Idiom:
on one's pat Austral. sl. on one's own.

Etymology:
Pat Malone, rhyming slang for own

N  agreement, accord, accordance, unison, harmony, concord, concordance, concert, understanding, mutual understanding, conformity, conformance, uniformity, consonance, consentaneousness, consistency, congruity, congruence, keeping, congeniality, correspondence, parallelism, apposition, union, fitness, aptness, relevancy, pertinence, pertinencey, sortance, case in point, aptitude, coaptation, propriety, applicability, admissibility, commensurability, compatibility, cognation, adaption, adjustment, graduation, accommodation, reconciliation, reconcilement, assimilation, consent, concurrence, cooperation, right man in the right place, very thing, quite the thing, just the thing, agreeing, suiting, in accord, accordant, concordant, consonant, congruous, consentaneous, correspondent, congenial, coherent, becoming, harmonious reconcilable, conformable, in accordance with, in harmony with, in keeping with, in unison with at one with, of one mind, of a piece, consistent, compatible, proportionate, commensurate, on all fours, apt, apposite, pertinent, pat, to the point, to the purpose, happy, felicitous, germane, ad rem, in point, on point, directly on point, bearing upon, applicable, relevant, admissible, fit adapted, in loco, a propos, appropriate, seasonable, sortable, suitable, idoneous, deft, meet, at home, in one's proper element, a propos of, pertinently, rem acu tetigisti, if the shoe fits, wear it, the cap fits, auxilia humilia firma consensus facit, discers concordia.

VB  caress, fondle, pet, dandle, pat, pat on the head, pat on the cheek, chuck under the chin, smile upon, coax, wheedle, cosset, coddle, cocker, cockle, make of, make much of, cherish, foster, kill with kindness, clasp, hug, cuddle, fold in one's arms, strain in one's arms, nestle, nuzzle, embrace, kiss, buss, smack, blow a kiss, salute, fold to the heart, press to the bosom, bill and coo, spoon, toy, dally, flirt, coquet, gallivant, galavant, philander, make love, pay one's court to, pay one's addresses to, pay one's attentions to, serenade, court, woo, set one's cap at, be sweet upon, look sweet upon, ogle, cast sheep's eyes upon, faire les yeux doux, fall in love with, win the affections, die for, propose, make an offer, have an offer, pop the question, plight one's troth, plight one's faith.

N  impulse, sudden thought, impromptu, improvisation, inspiration, flash, spurt, improvisatore, creature of impulse, extemporaneous, impulsive, indeliberate, snap, improvised, improvisate, improvisatory, unpremeditated, unmeditated, improvise, unprompted, unguided, natural, unguarded, spontaneous, instinctive, extempore, extemporaneously, offhand, impromptu, a limproviste, improviso, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce, calcitration, ruade, arietation, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk, carom, carrom, clip, jab, plug, sidewinder, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector, impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled, a hit, a very palpable hit.

VB  flash on the mind, say what comes uppermost, improvise, extemporize, give an impetus, impel, push, start, give a start to, set going, drive, urge, boom, thrust, prod, foin, cant, elbow, shoulder, jostle, justle, hustle, hurtle, shove, jog, jolt, encounter, run against, bump against, butt against, knock one's head against, run one's head against, impinge, boost, bunt, carom, clip y, fan, fan out, jab, plug, strike, knock, hit, tap, rap, slap, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash, punch, thwack, whack, hit hard, strike hard, swap, batter, dowse, baste, pelt, patter, buffet, belabor, fetch one a blow, poke at, pink, lunge, yerk, kick, calcitrate, butt, strike at, whip, come into a collision, enter into collision, collide, sideswipe, foul, fall foul of, run foul of, telescope, throw.