Definition of "patera" []

• A broad, shallow dish used for drinking, primarily in a ritual context such as a libation. (noun)
• A circular ornament, resembling a dish, often worked in relief on friezes etc. (noun)

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• "The word would have been used in reference to shape only without reference to the vessel's usage, and probably overlapped in meaning with the Latin word patera while at the same time being used to describe shallow bowls as well."
• "A sliding door or panel at one end was lifted up -- the body deposited within, on a shelf -- the door reclosed -- a spring a the side touched -- a sudden 'whishing,' sighing sound heard from within; and lo! at the other end of the machine the lid fell down, and a small handful of smouldering dust dropped into a 'patera' placed to receive it."
• "It sits between two volcanoes, and while the name "patera" is traditionally given to irregularly shaped volcanic craters, scientists know at least enough about the Orcus Patera to know it wasn't formed by a volcano."