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
Elliott spits her verses in patois, freeing up space on the track for the drums to get some before Cartel and M.I.A. slide through.
41.
—
Steven J. Horowitz, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for patois
Steven J. Horowitz, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for patois
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patois
Noun
-
Brig is in the Upper Valais, a gaunt and conservative place where the inhabitants speak Walliser German, an Alpine dialect that many Swiss people find unintelligible.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
The contemporary entertainment industry pushes that logic into nearly grotesque territory, as film and TV productions compete against 24/7 internet feeds and a rapidly changing meme dialect designed to always leave someone out of the loop.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Tiny stuff, that no one except insiders would notice—shuttle cockpit switch positions, authentic uniform patches, terminology.—
Eric Berger & Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
31 May 2026
-
Aaron doesn't have to spend a lot of time in OTA’s understanding the terminology, figuring out the reads.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Before that first experience in 2016, ‘ayahuasca’ wasn't a part of my vocabulary.—
Michaela Trimble,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Developing a reading habit can broaden vocabulary, boost knowledge and stimulate the imagination.—
Sneha Dhandapani,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
While Liden’s displacement and depersonalization of private property in Unheimlich Manöver could be perceived as the inversion of Darboven’s cocooning, the artists share a preoccupation with the silent speech of objects and with language as a spatial entity.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and included in the New York Times list of Notable Children’s Books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
How did the name Go-Go being used as slang for parties come about?—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
11 May 2026
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The home was dubbed Snowman in honor of Bryan’s late brother, Chris, who earned the nickname from the golf slang for a score of eight on an individual hole.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patois.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patois. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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