patdown

/ˈpætˌdaʊn/

Etymology

Deverbal from pat down.

patdown means an act of patting somebody's clothes to check for concealed weapons, etc. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 90 out of 100.

noun

An act of patting somebody's clothes to check for concealed weapons, etc.“To avoid such charges, airline screeners moved to random processes that led to patdowns of congressional representatives and mild-mannered elderly women...”