pattern

Model, example.

Adjective

  1. Of or in accordance with a usual pattern, or type; model; ideal.
    • "Not to me," interrupted his sister. "I will have no straw-bonneted, gingham-gowned pattern wives in my acquaintance. I shall make a point of cutting you." - 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter...
    • The parish duty was better attended to, and perhaps domestic duties also. At such period he was a pattern parson and a pattern husband, atoning to his own conscience for past shortcomings by present zeal. - 1861,...

Origin

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

Noun

  1. Model, example.
    • The wallpaper had a floral pattern.
    • There is no reason why all colleges and universities should be cut to the same pattern. - 1923 June 18, ‘President Wilson’, Time:

    Synonyms: original stencil template

    1. Something from which a copy is made; a model or outline.

    2. Someone or something seen as an example to be imitated; an exemplar.

      • Well! the King of France died pardoning & pitying all those who had tortured his Soul & Body, a great Pattern for us all. - 1793 March 19, Hester Piozzi, Thraliana:
      • I write this to repeat most earnestly for myself all that she said to you and to let you know how sure I am that you will sooner or later find our cousin John a pattern of truth, sincerity, and goodness, when you will...
      • The Platonic Socrates was a pattern to subsequent philosophers for many ages. - 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.16:

    3. (now rare) A copy.

    4. (now only numismatics) A sample; of coins, an example which was struck but never minted.

    5. A representative example.

    6. (US) The material needed to make a piece of clothing.

    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.

      • From this point those who became pupils went on to a further series of shops, usually commencing with the pattern shop. […] However, some of us did make quite reasonable patterns and had the satisfaction of seeing...
      • But instead, the distinctive ironwork and glass platform awnings have been carefully refurbished, while making them compatible with the overhead wiring. Kettering's island Platform 2/3 is especially noteworthy. Although...

    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.
    • 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...

    Synonyms: tessellation

    1. A design, motif or decoration, especially formed from regular repeated elements.

    2. A naturally-occurring or random arrangement of shapes, colours etc. which have a regular or decorative effect.

      • He lifted the entire joint or fowl up into the air, speared on a carving fork, and sliced pieces off it so that they fell on the plate below in perfectly organised patterns. - 2011 June 19, Rachel Cooke, The Observer:

    3. The given spread, range etc. of shot fired from a gun.

    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.

      • follow a pattern
      • There’s a clear pattern of behavior emerging.
      • pattern of growth

    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.

      • Pattern 10 is open in figure 3.9, showing the 64 notes in the pattern (each pattern in this song has 64 beats). - 2008, Karen Collins, Game Sound, page 59:
      • A MOD file contains a number of short audio samples, and instructions or a “pattern” for how and when those samples are to be played. - 2017, Gerard Goggin, Mark McLelland, The Routledge Companion to Global Internet...

    7. (cellular automata) A configuration of cells in a cellular automaton universe.

      • For example, at one point it claims that in order to view a pattern capable of reproduction and evolution, one would need a computer with a screen the size of the solar system, and the pattern would be so sparse anyway...
      • The state of the pattern after 1.25 * 10^12 generations is here: - 2010 March 20, Adam Goucher, “What is CA for?”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet):
      • The isotropy means all patterns behave the same regardless of orientation in space, they can be flipped or rotated without changing their behavior. - 2022 February 11, Mateon1, “Game of Life with real 8 neighbors”, in...

      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.

      • I got so much of it, my cousins think I've got a pattern with Celine And that I'm lyin', when I say that I do no get it for free - 2023 June 18, “100mph Freestyle x3”, Clavish (lyrics), 2:44:
  3. A wont or habit to cause an annoyance or bother; to stir up trouble
    • This guy always chut pattern like badminton.
  4. The devotions that take place within a parish on the feast day of the patron saint of that parish.

Forms

patterns

Synonyms

3 4 5

Antonyms

antipattern

Derived

abstract factory pattern adapter pattern Airy pattern anti-pattern architectural pattern beampattern behavioral pattern behavioural pattern be part of life's rich pattern biopattern bridge pattern builder pattern candlestick pattern chain-of-responsibility pattern Chladni pattern choo pattern choot pattern chu pattern chut pattern class adapter pattern command pattern composite pattern compound pattern concurrency pattern

Verb

  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.
    • [A temple] patterned […] from that which Adam reared in Paradise. - 1634, T[homas] H[erbert], A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, […], London: […] William Stansby,...
  3. To follow an example.
    • Under his system, patterned after the French, the army corps became a more mobile, flexible command. - 1998, John B. Wilson, The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades:
  4. To fit into a pattern.
    • Although there is no direct evidence for the identification of *θi as a genuine prefix in this word, it patterns well with the other discussed instances of *θi- both morphologically and semantically. - 2025, Cid...
  5. To serve as an example for.
  6. To observe an animal closely over time in order to discern its habitual movements and behaviours.
  7. To arrange, to organise, to fix.
    • MALACHI: Are you two fucking mad? Listen, you need to pattern up, you know? - 2022 June 2, Gabrielle Wood, 21:20 from the start, in Teddy Nygh, director, PRU (1), episode 2 (TV), spoken by Malachi (Billy Myagi):

    1. To assault.

      • Pattern gang, who they patterning? Pull up, skrr, have them panicking. - 2017 November 1, “No Hook”, performed by CGM:
      • Batteries already included, man just shoot it. Trying to pattern your bruces (all of them). - 2020 October 31, “The Rule of Six” (track 2), in Day of the Dead, performed by Block 6:
      • YS just crashed that corn and I swear man's eardrum started rattling (Mad ting). Touch jail when the gang starts patterning. - 2021, “Gang Bus (Original)”, performed by S13(CGE):

    2. To teach someone a lesson.

      • The system can't pattern me out or pattern me down, I'll pattern these clowns. They tried block my path, I built my own. Ya dun know, better start patterning now. - 2015 December 25, “BlukuByeByeBye” (track 3), in Rap...
      • Let me pattern these boys on time. - 2021 June 25, “Twx Txne”, performed by Scarlxrd:
      • And I can't lie, I'm really disgusted. I gave 'em my swag, they ain't doing it right. Ima pattern these kids like Ofsted (Chyeah). - 2022, “R U Dumb”, performed by Lancey Foux:

    3. To have sex with.

      • Pretty girls wanna beat, wanna pattern. - 2019, “Yapping (Cheating on wifey demo)”, performed by Krept & Konan:
      • My gal so fine, pattern her. Sorry, little nigga, better pattern up. - 2019 June 20, “Persian”, performed by ZieZie:
      • Don't do dates and I don't like coffee. If she's a 10 I'll pattern her properly. - 2021 June 7, “Council Boy”, performed by Alista Marq:

    4. To arrange the sale or supply of something, especially illegal drugs.

      • You know man's patterned, man's still slanging. Pack just vanished, all raw, no magic. - 2019 June 21, “Maddest of the Maddest Remix”, performed by Burner:
      • Bro thinks I'm booky, cah I ain't tryna sell him shit. Gotta peb this brick, on the next one I'll pattern him. - 2020 February 20, “Before The Lick”, performed by Kenzo Str8drop:
      • Twenty pound each for the laces but Tae can pattern me three for fifty. Step with my chain out, everyone shifty. - 2023 October 19, “Top 2” (track 13), in Chapter 16, performed by Clavish:

    5. To do or perform an activity

      • Oh, you mad? Then come at me, you prick. Make a move, better pattern it quick. - 2019 March 1, “Venom” (track 5), in GREY Area (Japan exclusive), performed by Little Simz:
      • Me and bro tryna pattern this grow. We ain't editin' pictures but I'm still croppin'. - 2019 March 22, “Mosh Pit” (track 10), in Drillers x Trappers II, performed by OFB:
      • My girl wanna pattern her hair and nails. So I took her down to Camberwell. - 2021 June 30, “Rumba”, performed by Jordy Mankoto:

Forms

patterns patterning patterned

Synonyms

model categorize