Meaning

noun small flat mass of chopped food

noun small pie or pasty

noun round flat candy

originFrom earlier meaning "small pie" from pattipan (“something baked in a small pan”), from French pâté (“liver paste, pâté”), from pâte (“pastry, dough, paste, batter”) + -é. Doublet of pastie /pasty (“meat pie”), pate (“cheese portion”), and pâté (“finely-ground paste”) and related to pasta and paste.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0