Lewis & Short

păteo, ŭi, 2, v. n. root pat. (perh. orig. spat.; cf. spatium); Gr πεταννυμι, πιτνημι, to spread out; πετασμα, curtain; πεταλον, leaf; cf.: patulus, patina; also perh. pando (for pantdo)], to stand open, lie open, be open.

  1. I. Lit.: januae, aedes patent, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 89: facite totae plateae pateant, id. Aul. 3, 1, 2. nares semper propter necessarias utilitates patent, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 145: omnibus haec ad visendum patebant cotidie, id. Verr 2, 4, 3, § 5: cur valvae Concordiae non patent? id. Phil. 2, 44, 112: semitae patuerant, Caes. B. G. 7, 8: ne fugae quidem patebat locus, Liv. 27, 18: patuere fores, Ov. M. 2, 768: (fenestrae) sine injuriā patent, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 16 et saep.
    1. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To lie open, be exposed to any thing: patens vulneri equus, Liv. 31, 39, 12: latus ictui, Tac. H. 5, 11.
      2. 2. To stretch out, extend (cf. porrigor): Helvetiorum fines in longitudinem milia passuum CCXL. patebant, Caes. B. G. 1, 2; 1, 10: schoenus patet stadia XL., Plin. 12, 14, 30, § 53.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to be open, free, allowable, accessible, attainable: si nobis is cursus pateret, Cic. Att. 10, 12, 4: ad quos omnis nobis aditus, qui paene solis patuit, obstructus est, id. Brut. 4, 16: praemia quae pateant stipendiariis, id. Balb. 9, 24: ut intellegant omnia Ciceronis patere Trebiano, id. Fam. 6, 10, 3: alicui, to yield to: lux aeterna mihi … dabatur, Si mea virginitas Phoebo patuisset amanti, Ov. M. 14, 133; id. A. A. 1, 362; Auct. Priap. 83.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Of the hearing, etc., to be open, ready to hear: (constare inter omnis video) patere aurīs tuas querelis omnium, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 25: si cujus aures ad hanc disputationem patent, id. Fam. 3, 8, 3: meas auris … omnium praeceptis patuisse. id. Phil. 14, 7, 20: tamquam nullo magis tempore ad simplices cogitationes pateat animus, Tac. G. 22, 2: semita Tranquillae per virtutem patet unica vitae, Juv. 10, 364.
      2. 2. To be exposed or subject to any thing, Cic. Off. 1, 21, 73: longis morbis senectus, acutis adulescentia magis patet, Cels. 2, 1: qui vanus et excors est patebit contemptui, Vulg. Prov 12, 8.
      3. 3. To extend: in quo vitio latissime patet avaritia, Cic. Off. 1, 7, 20: late patet et ad multos pertinet, id. de Or. 1, 55, 235.
      4. 4. To be clear, plain, well known, evident, manifest (cf.: appareo, detegor): operta quae fuere, aperta sunt, patent praestigiae, Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 9: cum illa pateant in promptuque sint omnibus, etc., Cic. de Or. 1, 6, 23: quod in tabulis patebat, id. Phil. 2, 37, 93: in adversariis (hoc nomen) patere contendit, id. Rosc. Com. 2, 5.
        With subject-clause: cum pateat aeternum id esse, quod, etc., Cic. Tusc. 1, 23, 54.
        Absol.: quid porro quaerendum est? factumne sit? at constat: a quo? at patet, Cic. Mil. 6, 15.
        Hence, pă-tens, entis, P. a., open, accessible, unobstructed, passable.
    1. A. Lit.: caelum ex omni parte patens atque apertum, Cic. Div. 1, 1, 2: campi patentes, Sall. J. 101, 11.
      Comp.: in locis patentioribus, Caes. B. G. 7, 28: via patentior, Liv. 7, 36.
      1. 2. Transf., open, wide: dolium quam patentissimi oris, Col. 12, 6.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. Open, exposed: domus patens, et exposita cupiditati et voluptatibus, Cic. Quint. 30, 93: pelagoque volans da vela patenti, Verg. G. 2, 41: urbs patens, unwalled, Vulg. Prov. 25, 28.
      2. 2. Evident, manifest: causa, Ov. M. 9, 536.
        * Adv.: pătenter, openly, clearly; in comp.: patentius et expeditius (opp: implicite et abscondite), Cic. Inv. 2, 23, 69