Thesaurus results for PATOIS

patois

noun

ˈpa-ˌtwä

Definition of patois

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of patois That’s for sure when people speak patois, a vernacular version of English that’s based on a culture’s intonation. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 4 June 2026 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

Google says training across languages, dialects, and different proficiency levels helped the model learn structures shared between sign languages.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Outpouring of grief The sound of sobbing underlays chanting in dozens of dialects woven together in a single expression of sorrow for Imam Hussein and his companions and family, killed and taken captive in the defining event of Shia Islam.

— Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of dialect

Noun

Group Captain Tarun Kumar Singha was involved from the earliest stages of story development, while Group Captain Alok Chaudhary coached the cast on cockpit body language and military bearing, uniform protocol and radio terminology.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
Chevy answered the Ford Ranchero with the El Camino, a similar car/truck concept that gained greater fame and entered the lexicon of automotive terminology, running for most of the 1960s until 1987.

— Greg Migliore, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of terminology

Noun

The language is closely related to — but distinct from — German, with a heavy admixture of Hebrew and Aramaic vocabulary, Slavic grammar and other influences.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Sign languages are independent languages with their own grammar and vocabulary.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of vocabulary

Noun

As if the constant barrage of political ads wasn't enough, some WCCO viewers are particularly bothered by the language candidates are using.

— Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Venus, planet of money and values, in your 2nd House of Resources opposes nebulous Neptune in your 8th House of Intimacy, so costs need clear language.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of language

Noun

His party has expanded its outreach to Gen Z through online campaigns, with some party lawmakers adopting youth slang in public appearances, including speeches in Parliament.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Kerr, for example, questioned Valdez’s command of English given his use of Caló, a culturally specific dialect that blends Mexican Spanish slang with English.

— Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire, 16 July 2026