patio
- 01 A2 Elementary
a flat area outside a house, usually made of stone or brick, where people sit or eat.
a paved outdoor area adjoining a house, used for dining or recreation.
Simple“We spent the afternoon drinking tea on the patio while the sun was out.”
In context“The homeowners decided to install a slate patio in the backyard to create a dedicated space for summer entertaining.”
UsageUsually functions as a countable noun; often used with the preposition 'on'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
an open area in the middle of a building, common in Spanish-style houses.
an inner courtyard open to the sky, characteristic of traditional Spanish or Spanish-American architecture.
Simple“The old villa was built around a beautiful patio filled with plants.”
In context“Traditional Andalusian architecture often features a central patio designed to provide shade and natural ventilation during the hot summer months.”
From Spanish patio, either from Old Occitan patu or pati (compare Occitan and Catalan pati), from Late Latin pactus, from Latin pactum (“pact, agreement, bargain”), hence a doublet of pact, or alternatively from Latin patēre (“to lie open”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.