pat·er·a / ˈpatərə/ • n. (pl. -er·ae / -ərē/ ) 1. a broad shallow dish used in ancient Rome for pouring libations. ∎ Archit. a flat, round ornament resembling a shallow dish.2. a broad, shallow bowl-shaped feature on a planet's surface.

patera (pl. paterae). Circular or elliptical dish-like Classical ornament in bas-relief, like a shallow medallion with a raised decorated centre, often incorporating flutes. When further enriched to represent a flower, it is termed rosette. It occurs in coffers, on friezes, and as punctuations on walls, especially in C18.

patera An irregular or complex martian structure, with scalloped edges, usually a volcanic caldera. The classic example is Alba Patera (110° W, 40° N), the volcano of largest areal extent on Mars, but only 3 km high. On the jovian satellite Io, the term is used for a volcanic crater surrounded by irregular flows. The name is derived from a type of shallow, ceremonial dish used by the Romans.