motif
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++mo·tif /məʊˈtiːf $ moʊ-/ ●○○ noun [countable] 1 AAGAINan idea, subject, or image that is regularly repeated and developed in a book, film, work of art etc 〔书、电影、美术作品等的〕主题，主旨，中心思想 The theme of creation is a recurrent motif in Celtic mythology. 天地万物的创造是凯尔特神话中反复出现的主题。2 PATTERNa small picture or pattern used to decorate something plain 〔装饰等的〕基调，基本图案 a white T-shirt with a blue fish motif 印有蓝色鱼图案的白色T恤衫3. APMan arrangement of notes that is often repeated in a musical work 〔音乐作品的〕主旋律
Examples from the Corpus
motif• The second level, that of poetic or dream symbolism, is inherent in all folk-tales, traditions and motifs of regeneration.• The use of these various processes may have provided the vehicles for the transmission of decorative motifs, by copying.• She was wearing a plain white T-shirt with a fish motif in blue and green.• Sylvia chose a set of china with a floral motif.• Such an interpretation is probably possible, but two of the major motifs of Walden argue against it.• Between these two mosaics, however, there are few obvious similarities of motif.• In this case we find a classic call-refusal motif.• Who, what, when, why, and how, the reportorial motif?• an action movie with a revenge motif• Tolkien however used the play for both more and less than motifs.Origin motif (1800-1900) French Old French; → MOTIVE1mo·tif nounChineseSyllable
and idea, Corpus subject, or image that repeated is an regularly
motif
mo‧tif /məʊˈtiːf $ moʊ-/
noun [countable]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
▪ pattern a regularly repeated arrangement of shapes, colours, or lines on a surface: Some of his pictures use patterns of dots. | 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. | The shield motif in the frescoes at Knossos is a religious, not a military, symbol.
mo‧tif /məʊˈtiːf $ moʊ-/
noun [countable]1. an idea, subject, or image that is regularly repeated and developed in a book, film, work of art etc: 2. a small picture or pattern used to decorate something plain:
3. an arrangement of notes that is often repeated in a musical work
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