Word.ws English Dictionary

pattern

Syllables: pat·tern/ˈpæ̞t(ə)n//ˈpætɚn/

pattern noun: something from which a copy is made; a model or outline.

Noun

pattern (plural patterns)

  1. Something from which a copy is made; a model or outline.
    • 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
  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 deeply, deeply grieve to have done him (without intending it) so much wrong.1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC
  3. (archaic) A copy.
  4. 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. The paper or cardboard template from which the parts of a garment are traced onto fabric prior to cutting out and assembling.
  8. (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 castings produced from them but, sad to say, many of these efforts were used as...1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 341
    • 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 it dates from 1879, when the station was enlarged to four platforms, the same...2022 December 14, Robin Leleux, “A royal occasion as heritage projects honoured: Kettering”, in RAIL, number 972, page 56
  9. A text string containing wildcards, used for matching.
    • There were no files matching the pattern *.txt.
  10. (in-compounds) A design pattern.
  11. A design, motif or decoration, especially formed from regular repeated elements.
    • 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.2003, Valentino, ‘Is there a future in fashion's past?’, Time, 5 Feb 2003
    Synonyms:
    tessellation
  12. 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
Show 8 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. The given spread, range etc. of shot fired from a gun.
  2. 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.
  3. An intelligible arrangement in a given area of language.
  4. 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 Histories, page 444
  5. 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 as to be almost unobservable.1989 May 6, Alan Hensel, “Looking for Life Newsletter”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)
    • 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)
  6. (Multicultural-London-English) 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 free2023 June 18, “100mph Freestyle x3”, Clavish (lyrics), 2:44
  7. (Singapore, informal) A wont or habit to cause an annoyance or bother; to stir up trouble
    • This guy always chut pattern like badminton.
  8. (Ireland) The devotions that take place within a parish on the feast day of the patron saint of that parish.

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.
    • [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, and Jacob Bloome, →OCLC
  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 Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon, page 198
  5. (transitive) To serve as an example for.
  6. (transitive) To observe an animal closely over time in order to discern its habitual movements and behaviours.
  7. (Multicultural-London-English) 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. (Multicultural-London-English) 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
    2. (Multicultural-London-English) 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 vs Grime, performed by Chip
      • Let me pattern these boys on time.2021 June 25, “Twx Txne”, performed by Scarlxrd
    3. (Multicultural-London-English) 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
    4. (Multicultural-London-English) 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
    5. (Multicultural-London-English) 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

Adjective

pattern (not comparable)

  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 I, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, pages 168-169
    • 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, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage

pattern meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Urdu and Bengali

pattern in Hindi

पैटर्न

pattern in Tamil

வடிவமைப்பு, அமைப்பு முறை, அமைமுறை, அமைவு, பாங்கு, படிவம்

pattern in Urdu

ڈول, مثال, نمونہ, سانچا, شکل

pattern in Bengali

pattern, example
নমুনা nomuna
pattern
নকশা nokśa
More languagesFewer languages
pattern in Telugu
ముగ్గు muggu, మాదిరి mādiri
pattern in Malayalam
ക്രമമായ രൂപം, മാതൃക, മോഡൽ
pattern in Kannada
ವಿನ್ಯಾಸ, ಚಿತ್ರ, ಚಿತ್ರಾಕೃತಿ, ಬನಾವಟ್ಟು
pattern in Punjabi
ਨਮੂਨਾ namūnā
pattern in Gujarati
ભાત bhāt
pattern in Tagalog
hulwaran
pattern in Arabic
نُمُوذَج numūḏaj, نَمَط namaṭ, عَيِّنَة ʕayyina
pattern in Indonesian
pola
pattern in Persian
الگو olgu
pattern in Thai
กระสวน grà-sǔuan, ลวดลาย

Examples of pattern in a sentence

  • The Platonic Socrates was a pattern to subsequent philosophers for many ages.1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.16:
  • Although it dates from 1879, when the station was enlarged to four platforms, the same original (1857) patterns for the delicate cast-ironwork seem to have been used - […].2022 December 14, Robin Leleux, “A royal occasion as heritage projects honoured: Kettering”, in RAIL, number 972, page 56:
  • Look again at how the US and its allies behaved then, and the pattern is unmistakable.2003 August 14, Kate Hudson, The Guardian:
  • 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 comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet):

All 40 example sentences with pattern

Synonyms of pattern

Antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of pattern

Forms of pattern

Noun
pluralpatterns
Verb
third-person singular presentpatterns
present participlepatterning
past participlepatterned
pastpatterned

Past tense of pattern: patterned

Plural of pattern: patterns

Origin of pattern

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.

Words formed from pattern

Phrases with pattern

56 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with pattern

Questions about pattern

What does pattern mean?
Pattern means something from which a copy is made; a model or outline.
What is pattern in Hindi?
Pattern in Hindi is पैटर्न. See Pattern meaning in Hindi.
How do you use pattern in a sentence?
The Platonic Socrates was a pattern to subsequent philosophers for many ages.
What part of speech is pattern?
Pattern can be a noun, a verb or an adjective.
How do you pronounce pattern?
Pattern is pronounced /ˈpæ̞t(ə)n/ (UK).
What is the plural of pattern?
The plural of pattern is patterns.

Words near pattern in the dictionary

  1. pattereth
  2. pattering
  3. pattering flash
  4. patteringly
  5. patterings
  6. pattern
  7. pattern baldness
  8. pattern bargaining
  9. pattern board
  10. pattern boards
  11. pattern book

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: pattern (page history and authors); pattern (Hindi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); pattern (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); pattern (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); নকশা (Bengali) (page history and authors); మాదిరి (Telugu) (page history and authors); pattern (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); pattern (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); ਨਮੂਨਾ (Punjabi) (page history and authors); ભાત (Gujarati) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-pattern.wav, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Moire9-pattern.wav.

Cite this entry: “pattern.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/pattern. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.