Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

down pat

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.23 in modern English

Syllables: down -pat
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood; mastered.

Example Sentences

"to have … down pat"
"She's got that Indian wrestlin' down pat, an' she's built for it."
"He has the look of Bruce Lee down pat, with the same defiant expression and spare but muscled frame."
"The first “solo”—flying the airplane all by yourself without an instructor alongside you in the cockpit—is the crucible for every new pilot. You get to do it only when your instructor is convinced that you have your landings down pat."

Etymology

Unknown, but clearly related to pat (“suitable, fitting”, adjective) and pat (adverb); possibly related to pat (“light tap”) in the sense of hitting the mark.

Frequently Paired Words

down cold down to a fine art down to a science down to a T

Synonyms

off pat down mastered

Questions

What does down pat mean?: Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood; mastered.
Where does down pat come from?: Unknown, but clearly related to pat (“suitable, fitting”, adjective) and pat (adverb); possibly related to pat (“light tap”) in the sense of hitting the mark.

How to pronounce down pat

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “down pat”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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