Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

patdown

/ˈpætˌdaʊn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.12 in modern English

Syllables: pat-down
IPA: /ˈpætˌdaʊn/

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An act of patting somebody's clothes to check for concealed weapons, etc.

American usage; Informal

Example Sentences

"To avoid such charges, airline screeners moved to random processes that led to patdowns of congressional representatives and mild-mannered elderly women..."

Etymology

Deverbal from pat down.

Usage

American usage
Informal

Inflected Forms

patdowns (plural) pat-down (alternative)

Synonyms

frisk frisking

Questions

How do you pronounce patdown?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpætˌdaʊn/.
What does patdown mean?: An act of patting somebody's clothes to check for concealed weapons, etc.
Where does patdown come from?: Deverbal from pat down.

How to pronounce patdown

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “patdown”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpætˌdaʊn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “patdown”.
Repeat and practice — Say “patdown” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.