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Travel & Airport English vocabulary · Security Screening

Pat-down

Meaning in travel & airport english, with examples

/ˈpæt daʊn/nounAdvanced term

In travel & airport english, pat-down means: A security search in which an officer moves their hands over the outside of your clothes to check for hidden items.

In Turkish: üst araması, elle arama

How it is used

Usually done after the metal detector or body scanner alarms, or at random. It is normally carried out by an officer of the same sex, and passengers can ask for it to be done in a private room. The verb is pat down: "They patted me down."

Example sentences

  1. The scanner beeped, so I had to have a pat-down.

  2. Sir, I'm going to do a quick pat-down. Please raise your arms.

Common collocations

  • have a pat-down
  • pat-down search
  • pat someone down
  • private screening
  • body scannerA machine at airport security that you stand in with your arms raised while it checks for hidden objects under your clothes.
  • metal detectorA frame you walk through at security, or a hand-held device, that beeps if you are carrying metal objects such as keys, coins or a belt.
  • security checkThe place and process at an airport where staff screen passengers and their cabin bags for dangerous or banned items before they reach the gates.

More terms: Security Screening

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