/ məʊˈtiːf; NAmE moʊ-/ noun
1.
a design or a pattern used as a decoration :
wallpaper with a flower motif
2.
a subject, an idea or a phrase that is repeated and developed in a work of literature or a piece of music
—see also leitmotif
SYN theme
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 19th cent.: from French .