What does pat-on-the-back mean?

pat-on-the-back

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.23 in modern English

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noun

""A self-congratulatory apparatus having a simulated human hand carried on a pivoting arm suspended form shoulder supported member. The hand is manually swingable into and out of contact with the user's back to give an amusing or an important pat-on-the-back." (Abstract of U.S. patent 4,608,967 issued on September 2, 1986 http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?FT=D&CC=US&NR=4608967A)"

pats-on-the-back (plural) pat on the back (alternative)

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