an affix (technically termed vati; see [Pāṇ. v, 1, 115] &c.) added to words to imply likeness or resemblance, and generally translatable by ‘as’, ‘like’ (e.g. brāhmaṇa-vat, like a Brāhman; pitṛ-vat = piteva, pitaram iva, pitur iva and pitarīva).
See api-√ vat.