Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries

motif

- 8 dictionary results

mo⋅tif

  [moh-teef]
Use motif in a Sentence
–noun
1. a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., esp. in a literary, artistic, or musical work.
2. a distinctive and recurring form, shape, figure, etc., in a design, as in a painting or on wallpaper.
3. a dominant idea or feature: the profit motif of free enterprise.
Origin:
1840–50; < F; see motive
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To motif
mo·tif   (mō-tēf')   
n.  
    1. A recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work.
    2. A dominant theme or central idea.
  2. Music A short rhythmic or melodic passage that is repeated or evoked in various parts of a composition.
  3. A repeated figure or design in architecture or decoration. See Synonyms at figure.

[French, from Old French, motive; see motive.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Motif

Mo"tif\, n. [F.] Motive.

Motif

Mo`tif"\, n. [F.]

1. In literature and the fine arts, a salient feature or element of a composition or work; esp., the theme, or central or dominant feature; specif. (Music), a motive.

This motif, of old things lost, is a favorite one for the serious ballade. --R. M. Alden.

The design . . . is . . . based on the peacock -- a motif favored by decorative artists of all ages. --R. D. Benn.

2. (Dressmaking) A decorative appliqu['e] design or figure, as of lace or velvet, used in trimming.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Language Translation for : motif
Spanish: diseño, dibujo, motivo,
German: das Muster,
Japanese: 模様
More Translations »

motif [(moh-teef)]

In literature, art, or music, a recurring set of words, shapes, colors, or notes. In the poem “The Raven,” by Edgar Allan Poe, for example, the word nevermore is a motif appearing at the end of each stanza. Likewise, the first four notes of the Fifth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven are a motif that is developed and reshaped throughout the work.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

motif 
1848, from Fr. motif "dominant idea, theme" (see motive).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

Main Entry: mo·tif
Pronunciation: mO-'tEf
Function: noun
: a distinctive usually recurrent molecular sequence (as of amino acids or base pairs) orstructural elements (as of secondary protein structures) motif consisting of two alpha helices>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

Motif
The standard graphical user interface and window manager from OSF, running on the X Window System.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
Cite This Source
Search another word or see motif on Thesaurus | Reference
>