Paten
/ˈpæt.ən/noun
A small plate, usually made of metal, used in Christian liturgy to hold the Eucharistic bread.
Did you know?Paten comes from Latin patēna, meaning a shallow dish or pan, from patēre, “to be open,” the same root behind words like patent and conspicuous “opening.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pet-
“to spread out, open, or extend”
Latin
Latin
patēre
“to be open, exposed”
Latin
Latin
patēna
“a shallow dish or plate”
Old French
Old French
patene
“a liturgical plate or shallow dish”
Middle English
English
paten
“a plate used in the Eucharist”
Modern English
English
paten
“a small communion plate used in Christian worship”