mo ‧ tif /məʊˈtiːf $ moʊ-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: French ; Origin: Old French ; ⇨ ↑ motive 1 ]
1 . an idea, subject, or image that is regularly repeated and developed in a book, film, work of art etc:
The theme of creation is a recurrent motif in Celtic mythology.
2 . a small picture or pattern used to decorate something plain:
a white T-shirt with a blue fish motif
3 . an arrangement of notes that is often repeated in a musical work
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THESAURUS
▪ pattern a regularly repeated arrangement of shapes, colours, or lines on a surface:
Some of his pictures use patterns of dots.
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The lines formed a regular pattern.
▪ design a pattern used for decorating something, especially cloth or paper:
curtains with a floral design (=based on flowers)
▪ markings the coloured patterns and shapes on an animal’s fur, feathers, or skin:
the tiger’s black and orange markings
▪ motif formal a single shape that is regularly repeated to form a pattern which decorates something:
A triangle within a square is a very common motif in Muslim art.
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The shield motif in the frescoes at Knossos is a religious, not a military, symbol.