The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - pat°v.

1) tap, touch, dab, pet, stroke, caress: Being short, he hated it when people affectionately patted him on the head. Pat down the coverlet to smooth out the wrinkles. 2) pat on the back. congratulate, commend, praise, compliment, encourage, reassure: The sales manager patted me on the back for clinching the contract. --n. 3) tap, touch, dab, stroke, caress: Give the dog a pat and he'll leave you alone. 4) (small) piece, patty, lump, cake, portion; patty: The waiter put a pat of butter on my plate. 5) pat on the back. commendation, praise, compliment, flattery, encouragement, credit, reassurance, approval, endorsement, recognition; honeyed words: I was expecting a big bonus, but all I got was a pat on the back.