motif

[ moh-teef ]

/ moʊˈtif /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR motif ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work.

a distinctive and recurring form, shape, figure, etc., in a design, as in a painting or on wallpaper.

a dominant idea or feature: Pulmonary problems were a grim motif in his life.

Biochemistry. a distinct pattern of amino acids in a function-specific protein sequence: No polyproline motif has been observed in these yeast proteins.

Origin of motif

First recorded in 1840–50; from French; see origin at motive

Words nearby motif

moth mullein, moth orchid, mothproof, mothy, Mo Ti, motif, motile, motility, motion, motion capture, motionless

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for motif

This motif has been a classic of anti-modernism for two centuries in Europe.
Sorry, Naysayers, But America Isn’t Over Yet|James Kirchick|November 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The plot is different, the characters are different, the motif different, and the scenic arrangement different.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8|Various
In this "Confession" Tolstoy emphatically strikes the keynote which is the motif of all his didactic writings.
The World's Greatest Books, Vol X|Various
And Mr. John Spearman's motif is that I should pay him five hundred and fifty-six pounds.
Dolly Reforming Herself|Henry Arthur Jones

Briefly stated, the motif is that religious thought is converging into two main camps—Humanitarianism and Supernaturalism.
Farmer George, Volume 2|Lewis Melville
But more than this, it is plainly not a motif derived from mythology at all, but from real life.
The Heroic Age|H. Munro Chadwick

British Dictionary definitions for motif

motif

/ (məʊˈtiːf) /

noun

a distinctive idea, esp a theme elaborated on in a piece of music, literature, etc

Also: motive a recurring form or shape in a design or pattern

a single added piece of decoration, such as a symbol or name on a jumper, sweatshirt, etc

Word Origin for motif

C19: from French. See motive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for motif

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.

单词	motif
释义	motif [ moh-teef ] / moʊˈtif / SEE SYNONYMS FOR motif ON THESAURUS.COM noun a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work. a distinctive and recurring form, shape, figure, etc., in a design, as in a painting or on wallpaper. a dominant idea or feature: Pulmonary problems were a grim motif in his life. Biochemistry. a distinct pattern of amino acids in a function-specific protein sequence: No polyproline motif has been observed in these yeast proteins. Origin of motif First recorded in 1840–50; from French; see origin at motive Words nearby motif moth mullein, moth orchid, mothproof, mothy, Mo Ti, motif, motile, motility, motion, motion capture, motionless Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for motif This motif has been a classic of anti-modernism for two centuries in Europe. Sorry, Naysayers, But America Isn’t Over Yet\|James Kirchick\|November 22, 2013\|DAILY BEAST The plot is different, the characters are different, the motif different, and the scenic arrangement different. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8\|Various In this "Confession" Tolstoy emphatically strikes the keynote which is the motif of all his didactic writings. The World's Greatest Books, Vol X\|Various And Mr. John Spearman's motif is that I should pay him five hundred and fifty-six pounds. Dolly Reforming Herself\|Henry Arthur Jones Briefly stated, the motif is that religious thought is converging into two main camps—Humanitarianism and Supernaturalism. Farmer George, Volume 2\|Lewis Melville But more than this, it is plainly not a motif derived from mythology at all, but from real life. The Heroic Age\|H. Munro Chadwick British Dictionary definitions for motif motif / (məʊˈtiːf) / noun a distinctive idea, esp a theme elaborated on in a piece of music, literature, etc Also: motive a recurring form or shape in a design or pattern a single added piece of decoration, such as a symbol or name on a jumper, sweatshirt, etc Word Origin for motif C19: from French. See motive Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Words related to motif pattern, concept, logo, subject, design, idea, structure, notion Cultural definitions for motif 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 New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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motif

noun

Origin of motif

Words nearby motif

Example sentences from the Web for motif

British Dictionary definitions for motif

noun

Word Origin for motif

Words related to motif

Cultural definitions for motif