Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: patron, from Medieval Latin patronus; PATRON

pattern

1 noun
     
NEW! See related topics: ARTSSHAPES, PATTERNSDAILY LIFESEWING AND KNITTINGMATERIAL, TEXTILES
pat‧tern1 S3 W1 [countable]
1 the regular way in which something happens, develops, or is done:
Weather patterns have changed in recent years.
pattern of
changing patterns of behaviour among students
The child showed a normal pattern of development.
pattern in
They noticed patterns in the data.
A general pattern began to emerge.
Their descriptions seemed to follow a set pattern (=always develop in the same way).
His behavior fits a pattern of violent acts.
2
a) C a regularly repeated arrangement of shapes, colours, or lines on a surface, usually as decoration:
a black and white striped pattern
pattern of
a pattern of dots
b) A a regularly repeated arrangement of sounds or words:
A sonnet has a fixed rhyming pattern.
3 [usually singular] a thing, idea, or person that is an example to copy:
The book set the pattern for over 40 similar historical romances.
4DLH a shape used as a guide for making something, especially a thin piece of paper used when cutting material to make clothes:
a dress pattern
5DTIM a small piece of cloth, paper etc that shows what a larger piece will look like [= sample]
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