leit ‧ mo ‧ tif BrE AmE , leitmotiv /ˈlaɪtməʊˌtiːf $ -moʊ-/ noun [countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: German ; Origin: leitmotiv , from leiten 'to lead' + motiv 'motive' (from French motif ) ]
1 . technical a musical phrase that is repeated several times during a long musical work and represents a particular character or idea
2 . something that is seen or heard very many times and so becomes a typical feature of a place, time, or person:
Her designs in clothing became a leitmotif of the 1970s.