patio

[ pat-ee-oh, pah-tee-oh ]

noun

, plural pat·i·os.

1. an area, usually paved, adjoining a house and used as an area for outdoor lounging, dining, etc.
2. a courtyard, especially of a house, enclosed by low buildings or walls.

patio

/ ˈpætɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. an open inner courtyard, esp one in a Spanish or Spanish-American house
2. an area adjoining a house, esp one that is paved and used for outdoor activities

Word History and Origins

Origin of patio¹

1820–30, Americanism; < Spanish, Old Spanish: courtyard, perhaps originally open area; compare Medieval Latin patium meadow, pasturage, perhaps derivative of Latin *patitus, past participle of patēre to lie open. See patent

Word History and Origins

Origin of patio¹

C19: from Spanish: courtyard

Example Sentences

Mrs Burton then found a wounded Mr Bush on the patio outside the property and she began to give him CPR.

From BBC

We’re sitting on the patio of a Beverly Hills hotel restaurant, trying to stay out of the sun.

From Los Angeles Times

Babitz, by Anolik’s estimation, had one great book in her: “Slow Days, Fast Company,” a collection of stories that touch on her romantic relationships with Ruscha’s brother, Paul, and Rolling Stone’s Lewis, as well as “the politesse of threesomes, sleeping on the roof of the patio of the Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel and what to wear when taking cocaine on acid,” among other things.

From Los Angeles Times

The 34-year-old single mother hugged everyone in the narrow bar area as she walked toward the patio, where the applause grew even louder.

From Los Angeles Times

Baker, 62, last year admitted that he killed the celebrity hairdresser on Jan. 23, 2017, leaving him in a pool of blood on a back patio in what was initially thought to be a home-invasion robbery gone wrong.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• balcony
• courtyard
• deck
• veranda