patois
Americannoun
plural
patois-
a regional form of a language, especially of French, differing from the standard, literary form of the language.
-
a rural or provincial form of speech.
-
jargon; cant; argot.
noun
-
an unwritten regional dialect of a language, esp of French, usually considered substandard
-
the jargon of particular group
Etymology
Origin of patois
1635–45; < French: literally clumsy speech; akin to Old French patoier to handle clumsily, derivative of pate paw
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Williams has to maintain not only the period of the play but also its cumbersome patois.
From Los Angeles Times
The missives have largely mimicked the president’s own social media patois, with hyperbole, petty insults and a heavy reliance on the “caps lock” key.
From Los Angeles Times
The patois changes from office to office and company to company, and the meanings behind certain terms shift from person to person.
From Salon
English may be the main language but patois, spoken at accelerated speed, is ubiquitous and routinely used to show kinship and camaraderie.
From BBC
“I went to prison so you won’t have to,” he declared, in a weird, highly caffeinated surfer patois.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
