pattern (n.)

  1. a perceptual structure; the composition presents problems for students of musical form; a visual pattern must include not only objects but the spaces between them

    [ Syn: form , shape ]

  2. a customary way of operation or behavior; it is their practice to give annual raises; they changed their dietary pattern

    [ Syn: practice ]

  3. a decorative or artistic work; the coach had a design on the doors

    [ Syn: design , figure ]

  4. something regarded as a normative example; the convention of not naming the main character; violence is the rule not the exception; his formula for impressing visitors

    [ Syn: convention , normal , rule , formula ]

  5. a model considered worthy of imitation; the American constitution has provided a pattern for many republics'

  6. something intended as a guide for making something else; a blueprint for a house; a pattern for a skirt

    [ Syn: blueprint , design ]

  7. the path that is prescribed for an airplane that is preparing to land at an airport; the traffic patterns around OHare are very crowded; they stayed in the pattern until the fog lifted

    [ Syn: traffic pattern , approach pattern ]

  8. graphical representation (in polar or Cartesian coordinates) of the spatial distribution of radiation from an antenna as a function of angle

    [ Syn: radiation pattern , radiation diagram ]

    pattern (v.)

  1. plan or create according to a model or models

    [ Syn: model ]

  2. form a pattern; These sentences pattern like the ones we studied before'

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.