Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
willow-pattern

willow-pattern

9.9
A blue and white china pattern showing a willow tree, river, and small houses
  • noun
translation icon : diseño de sauce
  • The antique shop sells beautiful willow-pattern dishes.

Examples

  • The antique shop had a collection of willow-pattern plates displayed in the window.

  • I inherited a beautiful willow-pattern teapot from my grandmother.

  • She served tea in her finest willow-pattern cups every Sunday afternoon.

  • Do you own any willow-pattern china?

  • The table was set with beautiful plates in the willow-pattern, showcasing an elegant design.

  • She admired the antique vase in the willow-pattern that caught her eye at the flea market.

  • Every time we have dinner, we use the willow-pattern china passed down through our family.

Synonyms

willowware
vswillow-pattern
9.9

A type of blue and white china showing a willow tree and river scene

is the named decorative style rather than the physical dishes

Surface Forms

willow-pattern singular
willow-patterns plural

Morphology

willow-pattern = willow + pattern (semi-transparent) = willow + pattern

The components 'willow' and 'pattern' are literal and identifiable, but the term denotes a specific traditional decorative design, which is a conventionalized referent learners may not infer from the parts alone.

Etymology

Willow-pattern comes from an English name for a Chinese-style blue-and-white 'design' that shows a tall willow tree, a river and a small bridge, and English pot makers turned that picture into a repeating pattern on plates and teapots. So a willow-pattern piece of china is simply a cup, plate or teapot decorated with that willow-tree scene.