Motif

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Motif \Mo"tif\, n. [F.]
     Motive. [archaic]
     [1913 Webster]
  
     2. 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[3].
        See also {leitmotif}.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]
  
              This motif, of old things lost, is a favorite one
              for the serious ballade.              --R. M. Alden.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
              The design . . . is . . . based on the peacock -- a
              motif favored by decorative artists of all ages.
                                                    --R. D. Benn.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     3. (Dressmaking) A decorative appliqu['e] design or figure,
        as of lace or velvet, used in trimming; also, a repeated
        design.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  motif
       n 1: a design that consists of recurring shapes or colors
       2: a theme that is elaborated on in a piece of music [syn: {motive}]
       3: a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or
          artistic work; "it was the usual `boy gets girl' theme"
          [syn: {theme}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  121 Moby Thesaurus words for "motif":
     action, anagnorisis, angle, architectonics, architecture, argument,
     atmosphere, background, background detail, basis, beading, binding,
     bordering, bordure, burden, case, catastrophe, chapter,
     characterization, color, complication, concept, concern,
     continuity, contrivance, convention, decoration,
     decorative composition, decorative style, denouement, design,
     detail, development, device, edging, element, episode, essence,
     fable, falling action, figure, fimbria, fimbriation, flounce,
     focus of attention, focus of interest, foil, foreground detail,
     form, frill, frilling, fringe, furbelow, galloon, gimmick, gist,
     head, heading, hem, idea, incident, issue, leitmotif, leitmotiv,
     line, list, living issue, local color, main point, matter,
     matter in hand, meat, mood, motive, movement, mythos,
     national style, ornament, ornamental motif, pattern, period style,
     peripeteia, phrase, plan, plot, point, point at issue,
     point in question, problem, question, recognition, refrain,
     repeated figure, rising action, rubric, ruffle, scheme,
     secondary plot, selvage, setting, skirting, slant, story,
     structure, style, subject, subject matter, subject of thought,
     subplot, substance, switch, text, thematic development, theme,
     tone, topic, touch, trimming, twist, valance, welt
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

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