patency

[ peyt-n-see, pat- ]

noun

1. the state of being patent.
2. Medicine/Medical. the condition of not being blocked or obstructed.
3. Phonetics. openness of articulation, found more or less in all phonemes except stops.

patency

/ ˈpeɪtənsɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being obvious
2. the state of a bodily passage, duct, etc, of being open or unobstructed
3. phonetics the degree to which the vocal tract remains unobstructed in the articulation of a speech sound See also closure

Word History and Origins

Origin of patency¹

First recorded in 1650–60; pat(ent) + -ency

Example Sentences

So that tells us at least in this case, in this one study, that the patency effect is incredibly powerful.

From Salon

It could be that the amyloid isn't being cleared properly via these lymphatic vessels, and that somehow improving their patency might help rid the brain of the pathologic protein.

From Scientific American

It could be that the amyloid isn't being cleared properly via these lymphatic vessels, and that somehow improving their patency might help rid the brain of the pathologic protein.

From Scientific American

The patency rates, indicating the relative absence of blockage, for diabetic patients treated with DCB was more than 20% higher than those undergoing standard angioplasty, also called percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

From Forbes

Strategies that increase vessel patency have been linked to increased immune cell infiltration into tumours.

From Nature