patent office
nounUK /ˈpeɪtnt ˈɒfɪs/
US /ˈpætnt ˈɔːfɪs/
A place where people go to get special papers that say an invention belongs to them.
She took her new toy design to the patent office to protect her idea.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A government agency that grants patents and keeps records of inventions.
The patent office approved his application after a long review.
3. The building or department where patent applications are filed and examined.
We visited the patent office to search old records.
4. An organization that handles intellectual property rights for inventors and companies.
The patent office works closely with lawyers and engineers.