pattern
pattern — noun
- patternsingular
- patternsplural
1. a set of lines, shapes, sounds, or colours that repeats in a planned or noticeab
a set of lines, shapes, sounds, or colours that repeats in a planned or noticeable way.
Blue flowers form a soft pattern across the bedroom curtains.
pattern on cloth or other surfaces
The child drew a star pattern around the birthday card.
Sunlight made moving patterns on the kitchen wall.
Grandma chose a carpet with a bold red pattern.
with + adjective + pattern
- floral pattern
- striped pattern
- geometric pattern
- pattern on the wall
- plainness
Used when something has no decorative design.
Grammar Patterns
pattern on + surface
Usage Note
Usually about what you can see on cloth, paper, floors, walls, or nature. Unlike sense 1, this sense points to the repeated shapes or colours themselves.
2. the regular form that events, behaviour, or changes take when they happen again
the regular form that events, behaviour, or changes take when they happen again and again.
Doctors noticed a clear pattern in the children's winter illnesses.
pattern in + plural noun for repeated events
The traffic pattern changes after the school gates open.
Lina's spending pattern became safer after she made a budget.
Police are studying the pattern of phone calls before the fire.
pattern of + noun
- pattern of behaviour
- weather pattern
- spending pattern
- traffic pattern
- exception
A case that does not fit the usual way.
- randomness
Used when no clear regular way can be seen.
Grammar Patterns
pattern of + noun
Usage Note
Often used with `of` plus the thing that repeats, such as `pattern of behaviour` or `pattern of growth`. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about a visible or audible design.
3. a paper shape, drawing, or set of lines that guides you when you cut or make som
a paper shape, drawing, or set of lines that guides you when you cut or make something.
Mina pinned the sleeve pattern onto the blue cotton.
The carpenter traced the pattern before cutting the chair leg.
trace the pattern before cutting
This paper pattern helps children make a paper bird.
Dad folded the cardboard pattern and checked both sides.
- dress pattern
- paper pattern
- cut out the pattern
- trace the pattern
Grammar Patterns
trace/cut out + pattern
Usage Note
Common with making and sewing words such as `trace`, `cut out`, and `fold`. Distinguish from sense 5, which is a small sample shown in a shop.
4. a person, thing, or piece of work that others try to follow because it is so goo
a person, thing, or piece of work that others try to follow because it is so good.
The small library became a pattern for village schools nearby.
pattern for + group copying it
Her careful notes are a useful pattern for new nurses.
The first garden plot served as a pattern for the rest.
This student project offers a strong pattern for next year's team.
serve as / become a pattern
- pattern for success
- a pattern for others
- serve as a pattern
- set a pattern
- warning
An example that shows what to avoid.
Grammar Patterns
pattern for + person/group
Usage Note
Usually singular and often followed by `for` when something becomes a model for others.
5. a cut piece from cloth, paper, or another material, shown so you can judge its c
a cut piece from cloth, paper, or another material, shown so you can judge its colour, feel, or style.
The shop mailed fabric patterns to couples planning a wedding.
pattern as a small sample piece
Nora taped the curtain pattern beside the living room window to check the light.
Bring the wallpaper pattern home before choosing the sofa.
The clerk laid three carpet patterns on the floor for the family to compare.
- fabric pattern
- paint pattern
- wallpaper pattern
- tile pattern
Grammar Patterns
send/show + pattern
Usage Note
Common in shops, catalogues, and home decoration. Unlike sense 4, this sense is the small sample piece, not the guide you cut around.
pattern — adjective
- patternpositive
- more patterncomparative
- most patternsuperlative
1. in compounds, describing a kind of hair loss that leaves less hair on the front
in compounds, describing a kind of hair loss that leaves less hair on the front and top of the head.
Doctors said male-pattern baldness often starts in the early twenties.
used in compounds: male-pattern baldness
The clinic treats female-pattern hair loss with several medicines.
Aaron worried about male-pattern baldness after finding hair on his pillow.
A poster explained how male-pattern baldness often starts at the crown.
fixed compound: male-pattern baldness
- male-pattern baldness
- female-pattern hair loss
- pattern baldness
- androgenic
Medical term stressing the hormone-related cause rather than the visible hair-loss shape.
- thinning
Broader and less exact; it does not specifically point to loss at the front and top.
- full-haired
Describes having a full head of hair rather than this loss pattern.
Grammar Patterns
male-pattern baldness
female-pattern hair loss
Usage Note
Only used before a noun and mainly in medical or health contexts, especially `male-pattern baldness` and `female-pattern hair loss`.
pattern — verb
- patternpresent simple I / you / we / they
- patterns3rd person singular
- patterning-ing form
- patternedpast simple
1. to act, dress, or create in the same way as someone or something else.
to act, dress, or create in the same way as someone or something else.
Young players often pattern their shots after TV stars.
pattern something after someone
Maya patterned her speech on her favorite aunt.
pattern something on someone
The new singer patterns himself after old soul artists.
Some children pattern their walk on an older brother.
- pattern speech on a parent
- pattern yourself after a hero
- pattern behaviour after someone
- ignore
You do not follow the example at all.
Grammar Patterns
pattern yourself after + person
pattern something on + person/style
Usage Note
Often followed by `after` or `on`, especially for behaviour, style, speech, or artistic choices.
2. to look right together or be the same in style, colour, or shape.
to look right together or be the same in style, colour, or shape.
Silver buttons pattern the dark coat better than plain black ones.
rare transitive use meaning match
This blue tie patterns Mark's pocket square for the wedding.
The brass lamp patterns the mirror frame in the hotel hall.
Her red shoes pattern the bag she carried to dinner.
- pattern the shoes with the bag
- pattern one item with another
- match
Much more common in everyday English.
- suit
Often about clothes, colours, or someone's appearance.
- complement
Usually means one thing makes another look better.
- clash with
Used when colours or styles look wrong together.
Grammar Patterns
pattern + object
Usage Note
Very rare in modern English. Speakers usually choose `match` or `go with` instead.
3. to make or change something by following a set model or guide.
to make or change something by following a set model or guide.
The carpenter patterned the chair legs from a drawing pinned above the bench.
make something from a drawing guide
The tailor patterned the new jacket on the school band's old uniform.
Engineers patterned the new bridge on a lighter frame.
pattern something on a model
Rosa patterned the dress to fit her daughter's height.
- pattern a dress to fit
- pattern a system on older models
- pattern something from a sketch
- improvise
Create without following a fixed guide.
Grammar Patterns
pattern something on + model
pattern something to fit + noun
Usage Note
Object is usually the thing being made or changed. Distinguish from sense 2, where the focus is copying a person's style or behaviour.
4. to cover or mark something with repeated lines, shapes, or colours.
to cover or mark something with repeated lines, shapes, or colours.
Frost patterned the window during the cold night.
subject can be a natural force
The artist patterned the bowl with tiny black dots.
pattern something with + design
Sun and rain patterned the stone with pale lines.
Grandma patterned the cake with sugar before dinner.
- pattern a bowl with dots
- pattern glass with frost
- pattern a cake with sugar
- erase
Remove marks instead of adding them.
Grammar Patterns
pattern something with + design
Usage Note
Object is the surface that receives the marks, and `with` often introduces the design used.
5. to appear in a repeated arrangement or design.
to appear in a repeated arrangement or design.
Ice patterned across the pond before the children arrived.
intransitive: pattern across + place
Clouds patterned above the hills as the storm moved east.
Dark stains patterned along the ceiling after the leak.
intransitive: pattern along + place
Red leaves patterned under the trees by late October.
- pattern across the sky
- pattern along the wall
- pattern under the trees
- break up
The regular arrangement stops or becomes uneven.
Grammar Patterns
pattern across + place
pattern along + place
Usage Note
Often used with `across`, `along`, or `under` to show where the repeated shape appears.
Word family
- patternedadjectiveB2
- patterningnounC1
- unpatternedadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
For noun/2, `pattern` is best when lines, shapes, or colours repeat. `Design` is broader and can mean the whole planned look of something, even when nothing repeats. `Motif` usually names one small repeated element, such as a leaf or star inside a larger design. `Print` is common for a design placed on cloth, paper, or clothing, especially by a machine. `Layout` is about how parts are arranged on a page, screen, or room, not mainly about repeated decoration. Say a shirt has a floral pattern, a sofa has a bold print, a tile repeats a leaf motif, and a website has a clear layout.
Common collocations
Nouns
- behavior pattern
- floral pattern
- dress pattern
- traffic pattern
- male-pattern baldness
Phrases
- see a pattern
- follow a pattern
- set a pattern for others
- pattern something after something
Prepositions
- pattern of
- pattern on
- pattern for
- pattern after
Etymology
Pattern came into English through Old French from a late Latin word family used for a model or example. The earliest idea was something set out for people to copy. From that meaning, English later developed the senses of a repeated design, a guide for making things, and the usual way that events or behaviour recur.