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. 专利

P&G applied for a patent on its cookies. 宝洁公司为其饼干申请了专利。

He held a number of patents for his many innovations. 他为他的许多革新申请了几项专利。

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

He patented the idea that the atom could be split. 他得到了原子可以分裂的这个见解的专利。

The invention has been patented by the university. 那项发明已经由那所大学获取了专利。

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. 显而易见的[强调]

This was patent nonsense. 这显然是一派胡言。

4. patentlyADV 显而易见地

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

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