Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1800-1900
Language: German
Origin: leitmotiv, from leiten 'to lead' + motiv 'motive' (from French motif)

leitmotif

 noun
     
NEW! See related topics: MUSIC
leit‧mo‧tif , leitmotiv [countable]
1APM technical a musical phrase that is repeated several times during a long musical work and represents a particular character or idea
2 something that is seen or heard very many times and so becomes a typical feature of a place, time, or person:
Her designs in clothing became a leitmotif of the 1970s.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

ADVERTISING AND MARKETINGANIMALSBANKING
BIOLOGYBUSINESS BASICSCOMPUTERS
CLOTHESDAILY LIFEEDUCATION
FINANCEFOODGRAMMAR
HAIR AND BEAUTYHUMANLAW
MUSICNATURESPORT
STOCKS AND SHARESTECHNOLOGYTRADE