Patina

Definitions

1. A paten, flat type of dish.
   countable, uncountable
2. The colour or incrustation which age and wear give to (mainly metallic) objects; especially, the green rust which covers works of art such as ancient bronzes, coins and medals.
   countable, uncountable
3. A green colour, tinted with grey, like that of bronze patina.
   countable, uncountable
4. A gloss or superficial layer.
   countable, figuratively, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“he enjoys a patina of respect⟳ by the police, despite being an ex-criminal”

“It demonstrates how scientific authority could be constructed on the fly⟳, as it were, by someone with no connections and no psychological credentials who offered a technique that had the patina of modern science[…]”

CEFR level