From earlier patten, paterne, from Middle English patron (“patron; example”), from Old French patron, from Medieval Latin patrōnus (“patron”). Doublet of padrone, patron, Patronus, and patroon.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpatən/, (younger also) /ˈpatn̩/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpætɚn/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ætə(ɹ)n
• Homophones: paten, patten, Patton (non-rhotic)
• Hyphenation: pat‧tern

pattern (plural patterns)

1. Model, example.
   1. Something from which a copy is made; a model or outline. [from 14th c.]

      Synonyms: original, stencil, template

      The wallpaper had a floral pattern.

      • 1923 June 18, ‘President Wilson’, Time:

        There is no reason why all colleges and universities should be cut to the same pattern.

   2. Someone or something seen as an example to be imitated; an exemplar. [from 15th c.]
      • 1793 March 19, Hester Piozzi, Thraliana:

        Well! the King of France died pardoning & pitying all those who had tortured his Soul & Body, a great Pattern for us all.

      • 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:

        I write this to repeat most earnestly for myself all that she said to you and to let you know how sure I am that you will sooner or later find our cousin John a pattern of truth, sincerity, and goodness, when you will deeply, deeply grieve to have done him (without intending it) so much wrong.

      • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.16:

        The Platonic Socrates was a pattern to subsequent philosophers for many ages.

   3. (now rare) A copy. [from 15th c.]
   4. (now only numismatics) A sample; of coins, an example which was struck but never minted. [from 16th c.]
   5. A representative example. [from 16th c.]
   6. (US) The material needed to make a piece of clothing. [from 17th c.]
   7. (textiles) The paper or cardboard template from which the parts of a garment are traced onto fabric prior to cutting out and assembling.
   8. (metalworking, dated) A full-sized model around which a mould of sand is made, to receive the melted metal. It is usually made of wood and in several parts, so as to be removed from the mould without damage.
      • 1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 341:

        From this point those who became pupils went on to a further series of shops, usually commencing with the pattern shop. […] However, some of us did make quite reasonable patterns and had the satisfaction of seeing castings produced from them but, sad to say, many of these efforts were used as firewood after they had left the shop.

      • 2022 December 14, Robin Leleux, “A royal occasion as heritage projects honoured: Kettering”, in RAIL, number 972, page 56:

        But instead, the distinctive ironwork and glass platform awnings have been carefully refurbished, while making them compatible with the overhead wiring. Kettering's island Platform 2/3 is especially noteworthy. Although it dates from 1879, when the station was enlarged to four platforms, the same original (1857) patterns for the delicate cast-ironwork seem to have been used - […] .

   9. (computing) A text string containing wildcards, used for matching.

      There were no files matching the pattern *.txt.

   10. (software engineering, in compounds) A design pattern.
2. Coherent or decorative arrangement.
   1. A design, motif or decoration, especially formed from regular repeated elements. [from 16th c.]

      Synonym: (when formed from regular repeated elements) tessellation

      • 2003, Valentino, ‘Is there a future in fashion's past?’, Time, 5 Feb 2003:

        On my way to work the other day, I stopped at a church in Rome and saw a painting of the Madonna. The subtle pattern of blues and golds in the embroidery of her dress was so amazing that I used it to design a new evening dress for my haute couture.

   2. A naturally-occurring or random arrangement of shapes, colours etc. which have a regular or decorative effect. [from 19th c.]
      • 2011 June 19, Rachel Cooke, The Observer:

        He lifted the entire joint or fowl up into the air, speared on a carving fork, and sliced pieces off it so that they fell on the plate below in perfectly organised patterns.

   3. The given spread, range etc. of shot fired from a gun. [from 19th c.]
   4. A particular sequence of events, facts etc. which can be understood, used to predict the future, or seen to have a mathematical, geometric, statistical etc. relationship. [from 19th c.]

      follow a pattern

      There’s a clear pattern of behavior emerging.

      pattern of growth

      • 1980 October 6, ‘Shifting Targets’, Time:

        The three killings pointed to an ugly new shift in the enduring pattern of violence in Northern Ireland: the mostly Protestant Ulster police, or those suspected of affiliation with them, have become more prominent targets for the I.R.A. than the British troops.

      • 2003 August 14, Kate Hudson, The Guardian:

        Look again at how the US and its allies behaved then, and the pattern is unmistakable.

   5. (linguistics) An intelligible arrangement in a given area of language.
   6. (computing, music) A sequence of notes, percussion etc. in a tracker module, usable once or many times within the song.
      • 2008, Karen Collins, Game Sound, page 59:

        Pattern 10 is open in figure 3.9, showing the 64 notes in the pattern (each pattern in this song has 64 beats).

      • 2017, Gerard Goggin, Mark McLelland, The Routledge Companion to Global Internet Histories, page 444:

        A MOD file contains a number of short audio samples, and instructions or a “pattern” for how and when those samples are to be played.

   7. (cellular automata) A configuration of cells in a cellular automaton universe.

      Hyponyms: breeder, eater, Garden of Eden, gun, methuselah, oscillator, puffer, rake, reflector, replicator, sawtooth, spacefiller, spaceship, spark, still life

      • 1989 May 6, Alan Hensel, “Looking for Life Newsletter”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎^[1] (Usenet):

        For example, at one point it claims that in order to view a pattern capable of reproduction and evolution, one would need a computer with a screen the size of the solar system, and the pattern would be so sparse anyway as to be almost unobservable.

      • 2010 March 20, Adam Goucher, “What is CA for?”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎^[2] (Usenet):

        The state of the pattern after 1.25 * 10^12 generations is here:

      • 2022 February 11, Mateon1, “Game of Life with real 8 neighbors”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎^[3] (Usenet):

        The isotropy means all patterns behave the same regardless of orientation in space, they can be flipped or rotated without changing their behavior.

   8. (MLE) Any arrangement or agreement, or way of conducting business.
      • 2023 June 18, “100mph Freestyle x3”, Clavish (lyrics)‎^[4], 2:44:

        I got so much of it, my cousins think I've got a pattern with Celine
        And that I'm lyin', when I say that I do no get it for free

3. (Singapore, informal) A wont or habit to cause an annoyance or bother; to stir up trouble

   This guy always chut pattern like badminton.

5. (Ireland, Roman Catholicism) The devotions that take place within a parish on the feast day of the patron saint of that parish.

• (3): category
• (4): cycle
• (5): similarity
• See also Thesaurus:model

• antipattern

pattern (third-person singular simple present patterns, present participle patterning, simple past and past participle patterned)

1. To apply a pattern.
2. To make or design (anything) by, from, or after, something that serves as a pattern; to copy; to model; to imitate.
   • 1634, T[homas] H[erbert], A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, […], London: […] William Stansby, and Jacob Bloome, →OCLC:

     [A temple] patterned […] from that which Adam reared in Paradise.

3. To follow an example.
   • 1998, John B. Wilson, The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades:

     Under his system, patterned after the French, the army corps became a more mobile, flexible command.

4. To fit into a pattern.
   • 2025, Cid Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon, page 198:

     Although there is no direct evidence for the identification of *θi as a genuine prefix in this word, it patterns well with the other discussed instances of *θi- both morphologically and semantically.

5. (transitive) To serve as an example for.
6. (hunting, transitive) To observe an animal closely over time in order to discern its habitual movements and behaviours.
7. (MLE) To arrange, to organise, to fix.
   • 2022 June 2, Gabrielle Wood, 21:20 from the start, in Teddy Nygh, director, PRU (1), episode 2 (TV), spoken by Malachi (Billy Myagi):

     MALACHI: Are you two fucking mad? Listen, you need to pattern up, you know?

   1. To assault.
      • 2017 November 1, “No Hook”, performed by CGM:

        Pattern gang, who they patterning? Pull up, skrr, have them panicking.

      • 2020 October 31, “The Rule of Six” (track 2), in Day of the Dead, performed by Block 6:

        Batteries already included, man just shoot it. Trying to pattern your bruces (all of them).

      • 2021, “Gang Bus (Original)”, performed by S13(CGE):

        YS just crashed that corn and I swear man's eardrum started rattling (Mad ting). Touch jail when the gang starts patterning.

   2. To teach someone a lesson.
      • 2015 December 25, “BlukuByeByeBye” (track 3), in Rap vs Grime, performed by Chip:

        The system can't pattern me out or pattern me down, I'll pattern these clowns. They tried block my path, I built my own. Ya dun know, better start patterning now.

      • 2021 June 25, “Twx Txne”, performed by Scarlxrd:

        Let me pattern these boys on time.

      • 2022, “R U Dumb”, performed by Lancey Foux:

        And I can't lie, I'm really disgusted. I gave 'em my swag, they ain't doing it right. Ima pattern these kids like Ofsted (Chyeah).

      • 2024 January 18, “Switch”, performed by Rvchet:

        Slap him up to pattern him.

   3. To have sex with.
      • 2019, “Yapping (Cheating on wifey demo)”, performed by Krept & Konan:

        Pretty girls wanna beat, wanna pattern.

      • 2019 June 20, “Persian”, performed by ZieZie:

        My gal so fine, pattern her. Sorry, little nigga, better pattern up.

      • 2021 June 7, “Council Boy”, performed by Alista Marq:

        Don't do dates and I don't like coffee. If she's a 10 I'll pattern her properly.

      • 2021 August 17, “London Scammer”, performed by Tanks & Tarm:

        I see it, I want it, I click it. Nights in the bando, Pyrex whippin'. Pattern your bitch 'cause she's likin' my pictures.

      • 2023 October 19, “On a flight” (track 10), in Ticket To The Moon, performed by Nafe Smallz:

        I call her the passionate topper. I book out the suite and she pattern me proper.

   4. To arrange the sale or supply of something, especially illegal drugs.
      • 2019 June 21, “Maddest of the Maddest Remix”, performed by Burner:

        You know man's patterned, man's still slanging. Pack just vanished, all raw, no magic.

      • 2020 February 20, “Before The Lick”, performed by Kenzo Str8drop:

        Bro thinks I'm booky, cah I ain't tryna sell him shit. Gotta peb this brick, on the next one I'll pattern him.

      • 2023 October 19, “Top 2” (track 13), in Chapter 16, performed by Clavish:

        Twenty pound each for the laces but Tae can pattern me three for fifty. Step with my chain out, everyone shifty.

   5. To do or perform an activity
      • 2019 March 1, “Venom” (track 5), in GREY Area (Japan exclusive), performed by Little Simz:

        Oh, you mad? Then come at me, you prick. Make a move, better pattern it quick.

      • 2019 March 22, “Mosh Pit” (track 10), in Drillers x Trappers II, performed by OFB:

        Me and bro tryna pattern this grow. We ain't editin' pictures but I'm still croppin'.

      • 2021 June 30, “Rumba”, performed by Jordy Mankoto:

        My girl wanna pattern her hair and nails. So I took her down to Camberwell.

• model
• categorize

pattern (not comparable)

1. Of or in accordance with a usual pattern, or type; model; ideal.
   • 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter I, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, pages 168-169:

     "Not to me," interrupted his sister. "I will have no straw-bonneted, gingham-gowned pattern wives in my acquaintance. I shall make a point of cutting you."

   • 1861, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage:

     The parish duty was better attended to, and perhaps domestic duties also. At such period he was a pattern parson and a pattern husband, atoning to his own conscience for past shortcomings by present zeal.

• pattern on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Pattern (devotional) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• reptant