patois
Americannoun
plural
patois-
a regional form of a language, especially of French, differing from the standard, literary form of the language.
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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
Explanation
The noun patois describes the way you talk, like the patois of New Englanders who tend to drop the letter r: "Drive yah cah to Hahvahd Yahd," while others say, "Drive your car to Harvard Yard." Patois, which rhymes with "voilà," is speech used in a particular region, profession, or group. It is a French word that originated as "rough speech." Examples of patois are found in every region of the world, but perhaps the most famous is Jamaican. "Ah wha dat yuh ah luok pan?," is Jamaican patois for, "What’s that you’re looking at?" Patois is also the "jargon" or "lingo" used by a group, such as musicians whose patois is lost on non-musicians.
Vocabulary lists containing patois
Vivacious Vernacular: Words About Slang
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The Other Wes Moore
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The Sun Is Also a Star
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
To hear Judith Light, Jessica Hecht, Linda Lavin, Peter Frechette, Slattery or Whitford converse in this heightened theatrical patois was to become instantly spellbound.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2025
For Green, one of the biggest challenges of a film like “One Love” was getting the patois language right and making it feel real without watering it down.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2024
The original term for devil mas is "Jab Molassie," which is French patois for "Molasses Devil".
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2024
Capped with a fez, speaking some sort of French patois, Mitchell brings his own campy aura to the movie, including the portentous punchline: “Choice is a Western concept.”
From New York Times • May 24, 2023
There was a faint twang in his voice, a hint of a patois that might have been West Indian.
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
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.
