as in dialect
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field
the medical patois that the hospital staffers used among themselves was incomprehensible to me
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of patois
And so there’s West Indian patois and language and music and food.
—
Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025
There are countless examples like these, in which English scaffolding has adapted to the demands and the cultural heritage of its speakers, from Jamaican patois to Tok Pisin, of New Guinea.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Instead, viewers are immersed in Millie’s Kingston, with dialogue spoken almost entirely in Jamaican patois, where opportunities are limited, gang violence persists and whiteness is still put on a pedestal.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Nov. 2024
Casting themselves as high priests of pop culture, the duo encapsulated gay-millennial preoccupations and patois.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for patois
Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025
There are countless examples like these, in which English scaffolding has adapted to the demands and the cultural heritage of its speakers, from Jamaican patois to Tok Pisin, of New Guinea.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Instead, viewers are immersed in Millie’s Kingston, with dialogue spoken almost entirely in Jamaican patois, where opportunities are limited, gang violence persists and whiteness is still put on a pedestal.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Nov. 2024
Casting themselves as high priests of pop culture, the duo encapsulated gay-millennial preoccupations and patois.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for patois
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patois
Noun
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The versatility in dialects in these tracks—from Moroccan to Khaleeji Arabic—reflects his fluency, not just linguistically but musically, across several continents.—
Maha ElNabawi,
Billboard,
29 Apr. 2025
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The technology differentiated among different dialects in Lebanon to gauge public reaction, helping Israel to assess if there was public pressure for a counterstrike.—
Sheera Frenkel,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But for those who don’t really follow science, or what celebrities are doing to keep most fit, all the acronyms and medical terminology can be daunting.—
Andy Frye,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
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Lawyer said the Derby makes betting as accessible as possible, from a betting app, to signs instructing you on how to place a bet using the proper terminology, to the demeanor of the Churchill Downs employees.—
Ayana Archie,
NPR,
2 May 2025
Noun
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With pan dulce baking in the oven and music in the air, this bilingual song introduces little ones to the joy of cooking with loved ones, family traditions, and beginner Spanish vocabulary.—
Fiona Tapp,
Parents,
8 May 2025
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The worst insults in his vocabulary, however, remain G-rated.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
8 May 2025
Noun
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Police did say what led to the altercation, but sources told TMZ that Saitta and his group had been repeatedly harassing Von and using threatening language.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2025
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The project exemplifies emerging Catalan talent at Cannes, offering a glimpse into new narrative voices committed to fresh cinematic language.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
15 May 2025
Noun
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But there’s a whole lot of other slang spoken around here.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
12 May 2025
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The name of the new bourbon is Darts, which is a slang term for cigarettes that seems to be more common among Canadians and Australians than Americans.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Patois.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patois. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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