motif
4
6.7
- noun
- /moʊˈtiːf/
- Specialized
- At the bottom, the body of the instrument is decorated with a repeated motif of interlocking curved forms.
- musical motif
- repeated motif
Examples
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One of Beethoven's biographers would later call this pattern the Fate motif because it suggests the figure of fate knocking at the door.
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We hear the rhythmic motif return with a faint trumpet fanfare.
Academic text (2015) -
Next, they sang the motif, starting on a variety of different pitches.
Academic text (2004) -
Finally, the children learned to play the motif on the xylophone.
Academic text (2004) -
A new musical motif hangs in the air: MUSIC announcing danger.
Fiction book (1995) -
The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) consists of several motifs dedicated to specific characters and situations throughout the film.
Academic text (2015) -
The triangle motif is also omnipresent, as in other Amazigh textiles, jewelry, and tattoo designs.
Academic text (2006) -
The orchestra played the motif several times to emphasize its importance in the symphony.
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In many of her paintings, the artist incorporates a floral motif to create a sense of unity.
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The song features a catchy motif that listeners can easily recognize after hearing it just once.
Synonyms
107
3.4
A melody that repeats and becomes the main musical idea
2
7.5
A short melody that returns and changes in a musical piece
1
9.1
A short musical idea that returns to show a person, place, or feeling
1
3.4
The main tune that represents a person or idea in a piece of music
1
3.4
A short group of notes that sounds complete in a piece of music
1
3.2
A short easy to remember musical phrase that repeats in a song
1
5.8
A main tune that returns and shapes a musical piece
1
9.9
A short tune that comes back in music to represent a person or idea
1
7.4
A short musical idea that repeats or changes through a piece
1
8.6
A short musical phrase or rhythm that repeats many times
How Prominent
Surface Forms
Etymology
Motif comes from the French motive and the old Latin root movere, which means 'to move'. In music a motif is a short idea that 'moves' through the piece by repeating, so the origin helps explain why it returns and holds the music together.