Patera
Pronunciation : Pat"e*ra
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [ L., fr. patere to lie open.]
Definition : 1. A saucerlike vessel of earthenware or metal, used by the Greeks and Romans in libations and sacrificies.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: A circular ornament, resembling a dish, often worked in relief on friezes, and the like.
pl. Pater?(.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913