pattern

English Online Dictionary. What means pattern‎? What does pattern mean?

English

Etymology

From earlier patten, paterne, from Middle English patron (“patron; example”), from Old French patron, from Medieval Latin patrōnus (“patron”). Doublet of padrone, patron, and Patronus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpatən/, (younger also) /ˈpatn̩/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpætɚn/
• Rhymes: -ætə(ɹ)n
• Homophones: paten, patten, Patton (non-rhotic)

Noun

pattern (plural patterns)

1. Model, example.
   1. Something from which a copy is made; a model or outline. [from 14th c.]

      Synonyms: original, stencil, template
   2. Someone or something seen as an example to be imitated; an exemplar. [from 15th c.]
   3. (now rare) A copy. [from 15th c.]
   4. (now only numismatics) A sample; of coins, an example which was struck but never minted. [from 16th c.]
   5. A representative example. [from 16th c.]
   6. (US) The material needed to make a piece of clothing. [from 17th c.]
   7. (textiles) The paper or cardboard template from which the parts of a garment are traced onto fabric prior to cutting out and assembling.
   8. (metalworking, dated) A full-sized model around which a mould of sand is made, to receive the melted metal. It is usually made of wood and in several parts, so as to be removed from the mould without damage.
   9. (computing) A text string containing wildcards, used for matching.

      There were no files matching the pattern *.txt.

   10. (software engineering, in compounds) A design pattern.
2. Coherent or decorative arrangement.
   1. A design, motif or decoration, especially formed from regular repeated elements. [from 16th c.]

      Synonym: (when formed from regular repeated elements) tessellation

      • 2003, Valentino, ‘Is there a future in fashion's past?’, Time, 5 Feb 2003:

        On my way to work the other day, I stopped at a church in Rome and saw a painting of the Madonna. The subtle pattern of blues and golds in the embroidery of her dress was so amazing that I used it to design a new evening dress for my haute couture.

   2. A naturally-occurring or random arrangement of shapes, colours etc. which have a regular or decorative effect. [from 19th c.]
   3. The given spread, range etc. of shot fired from a gun. [from 19th c.]
   4. A particular sequence of events, facts etc. which can be understood, used to predict the future, or seen to have a mathematical, geometric, statistical etc. relationship. [from 19th c.]
   5. (linguistics) An intelligible arrangement in a given area of language.
   6. (computing, music) A sequence of notes, percussion etc. in a tracker module, usable once or many times within the song.
   7. (cellular automata) A configuration of cells in a cellular automaton universe.

      Hyponyms: breeder, eater, Garden of Eden, gun, methuselah, oscillator, puffer, rake, reflector, replicator, sawtooth, spacefiller, spaceship, spark, still life
   8. (MLE) Any arrangement or agreement, or way of conducting business.
3. (Singapore, informal) A wont or habit to cause an annoyance or bother; to stir up trouble

   This guy always chut pattern like badminton.

5. (Ireland, Roman Catholicism) The devotions that take place within a parish on the feast day of the patron saint of that parish.

Synonyms

• (3): category
• (4): cycle
• (5): similarity
• See also Thesaurus:model

Antonyms

• antipattern

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

pattern (third-person singular simple present patterns, present participle patterning, simple past and past participle patterned)

1. To apply a pattern.
2. To make or design (anything) by, from, or after, something that serves as a pattern; to copy; to model; to imitate.
3. To follow an example.
4. To fit into a pattern.
5. (transitive) To serve as an example for.
6. (hunting, transitive) To observe an animal closely over time in order to discern its habitual movements and behaviours.
7. (MLE) To arrange, to organise, to fix.

Synonyms

• model
• categorize

Translations

Adjective

pattern (not comparable)

1. Of or in accordance with a usual pattern, or type; model; ideal.

References

• pattern on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Pattern (devotional) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• reptant