patency

[ peyt-n-see, pat- ]
/ ˈpeɪt n si, ˈpæt- /

noun

the state of being patent.
Medicine/Medical. the condition of not being blocked or obstructed.
Phonetics. openness of articulation, found more or less in all phonemes except stops.

Origin of patency

First recorded in 1650–60; pat(ent) + -ency

Words nearby patency

patellar reflex, patellate, patellectomy, patelliform, paten, patency, patenier, patent, patent ambiguity, patent cliff, patent ductus arteriosus

British Dictionary definitions for patency

patency
/ (ˈpeɪtənsɪ) /

noun

the condition of being obvious
the state of a bodily passage, duct, etc, of being open or unobstructed
phonetics the degree to which the vocal tract remains unobstructed in the articulation of a speech sound See also closure (def. 7)

Medical definitions for patency

patency
[ pāt′n-sē ]

n.

The state or quality of being open, expanded, or unblocked.