patty-cake

noun

pat·​ty-cake ˈpa-tē-ˌkāk How to pronounce patty-cake (audio)
variants or pat-a-cake
ˈpa-də-ˌkāk How to pronounce patty-cake (audio)
ˈpat-ə-
: a game in which two participants (such as mother and child) clap their hands together to the rhythm of an accompanying nursery rhyme

Word History

Etymology

from the opening words of the rhyme

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of patty-cake was in 1889

Dictionary Entries Near patty-cake

patty

patty-cake

pattypan

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Patty-cake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patty-cake. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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