VocabauraVOCABAURA

patency

noun

Simple meaning

The openness of a bodily passage or duct.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

patuhnsee

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈpætənsi

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. medicine

    The openness (lack of obstruction) of a bodily passage or duct

  2. medicine

    The degree of openness (of a tube, such as a blood vessel or catheter); the relative absence of blockage or obstruction. Measured in percent.

  3. medicine

    The condition or state of being patent.

  4. uncountable

    Obviousness; clarity.

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “patency”. We review each one before it appears.

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Keep learning “patency” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.

Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.