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patty

1 American  
[pat-ee] / ˈpæt i /

noun

plural

patties
  1. any item of food covered with dough, batter, etc., and fried or baked.

    oyster patties.

  2. a thin, round piece of ground or minced food, as of meat or the like.

    a hamburger patty.

  3. a thin, round piece, as of candy.

    peppermint patties.

  4. a little pie; pasty.


Patty 2 American  
[pat-ee] / ˈpæt i /

noun

  1. a female given name, form of Patience or Patricia.


patty British  
/ ˈpætɪ /

noun

  1. a small flattened cake of minced food

  2. a small pie

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of patty

First recorded in 1700–10; alteration of pâté, conformed to English words with the suffix -y 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Toward the book’s end they fantasize about a world in which your local Waffle House serves “mycelium-based steak and Impossible burgers for the patty melts,” with red meat unavailable at most restaurants.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

So there’s generally good profit in adding extra beef, since the only add-on cost to the restaurant is the patty itself, and that can be passed on to the consumer.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

On our road trip we stopped at a Wendy’s in Mississippi and I realized the Light Phone III is quite close in shape and size to a Dave’s Single patty.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2025

The price of adding a single patty or cheese slice to a typical burger, however, will not change.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025

It can dry up like an old cow patty for all I care, she thought privately.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer