Patio
/ˈpæti.oʊ/noun
An open, paved outdoor area adjoining a house.
Did you know?Patio comes from Spanish patio, originally a yard or courtyard, and its deeper Latin ancestor patere meant “to be open,” so the word’s core idea is literally openness.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
patere
“to be open, lie open”
Late Latin
Latin
patium
“open space, extent”
Old Spanish
Spanish
pati(o)
“courtyard, yard”
18th Century
English
patio
“a courtyard or paved outdoor area”
Modern English
English
patio
“an open, paved area adjoining a house”