patdown en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈpætˌdaʊn/
Etymology
Deverbal from pat down.
Meanings
-
(US, informal) An act of patting somebody's clothes to check for concealed weapons, etc.
To avoid such charges, airline screeners moved to random processes that led to patdowns of congressional representatives and mild-mannered elderly women...
2006, Yoram Wind, Colin Crook, Robert E. Gunther, The power of impossible thinking:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pat-down | alternative | lexicographic | |
| patdowns | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (6)
fr fouille à corps (patting somebody's clothes) · fr fouille corporelle (patting somebody's clothes) · pl rewizja osobista (patting somebody's clothes) · fr palpation de sécurité (patting somebody's clothes) · pl przeszukanie (patting somebody's clothes) · es cacheo (patting somebody's clothes)