Patient /(pā"shent)/

Pa·tient

Patient

a.
  1. Having the quality of enduring; physically able to suffer or bear.
    Patient of severest toil and hardship.
    — Bp. Fell.
  2. Undergoing pains, trials, or the like, without murmuring or fretfulness; bearing up with equanimity against trouble; long-suffering.
  3. Constant in pursuit or exertion; persevering; calmly diligent; as, patient endeavor.
    Whatever I have done is due to patient thought.
  4. Expectant with calmness, or without discontent; not hasty; not overeager; composed.
    Not patient to expect the turns of fate.
  5. Forbearing; long-suffering.
    Be patient toward all men.
    — 1 Thess. v. 14.

Patient

n.
  1. One who, or that which, is passively affected; a passive recipient.
    Malice is a passion so impetuous and precipitate that it often involves the agent and the patient.
    — Gov. of Tongue.
  2. A person under medical or surgical treatment; -- correlative to physician or nurse.
    Like a physician, . . . seeing his patient in a pestilent fever.

Phrases & Compounds
In patient
a patient who receives lodging and food, as treatment, in a hospital or an infirmary.
Out patient
one who receives advice and medicine, or treatment, from an infirmary.

Patient

v. t.
  1. To compose, to calm. [Obs.]