Definition of "patina" [pat•ina]

• See paten. (noun)
• A thin greenish layer, usually basic copper sulfate, that forms on copper or copper alloys, such as bronze, as a result of corrosion. (noun)
• The sheen on any surface, produced by age and use. (noun)
• A change in appearance produced by long-standing behavior, practice, or use: a face etched with a patina of fine lines and tiny wrinkles. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "To a true collector the crappy look can be the real deal, and sometimes that old funky patina is what people try to fake too. best of luck,"
• "But as each day passed, his regime was beginning to acquire a certain patina of legitimacy."
• "You have been taught that to scratch the surface will shatter the wafer thin patina of the nose-ring Karl leads you around with."