patent

1. N-COUNT A patent is an official right to be the only person or company allowed to make or sell a new product for a certain period of time. 專利

P&G applied for a patent on its cookies. 寶潔公司爲其餅乾申請了專利。

He held a number of patents for his many innovations. 他爲他的許多革新申請了幾項專利。

2. V-T If you patent something, you obtain a patent for it. 得到…專利

He patented the idea that the atom could be split. 他得到了原子可以分裂的這個見解的專利。

The invention has been patented by the university. 那項發明已經由那所大學獲取了專利。

3. ADJ You use patent to describe something, especially something bad, in order to indicate in an emphatic way that you think its nature or existence is clear and obvious. 顯而易見的[強調]

This was patent nonsense. 這顯然是一派衚言。

4. patentlyADV 顯而易見地

He made his displeasure patently obvious. 他清楚地表明了他的不悅。

5. ADJ open or available for inspection (esp in the phrase letters patent) 公開的