Word of the Day.

pattern   

Function: noun [count]

Plural: patterns

Meanings:
1 : a repeated form or design, especially one that is used to decorate something
Examples:
<The dishes have a floral pattern around the rim.>
<The fabric comes in different colors and patterns.>
<The rug is decorated with a geometric pattern.>
<The shadows made a pattern of lines on the ground.>

2 a : the regular and repeated way in which something happens or is done
Examples:
<They are studying behavior patterns among high-school students.>
<Analysts are noticing different spending patterns by consumers.>
<The trees followed a characteristic pattern of growth.>
<Your symptoms fit the pattern of diabetes. [=your symptoms are the same as the symptoms of diabetes]>
<His daily routine followed a set pattern. [=it was always the same]>
<The book set the pattern [=created an example which is followed by others] for detective fiction.>

2 b : something that happens in a regular and repeated way
Example:
<We have to find a way to break the pattern of violence. [=to make the violence stop]>

3 : a shape or model that is used as a guide for making something
Example:
<a dress pattern [=a large piece of paper that is used as a guide for cutting the cloth to make a dress]>