From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpatterningpat‧tern‧ing /ˈpætənɪŋ $ -tər-/ noun [uncountable] 1 technicalMPCOPY the development of particular ways of behaving, thinking, doing things etc that are the result of copying and repeating actions, language etc cultural patterningpatterning of the patterning of parent–child relationships2 AVDpatterns of a particular kind, especially on an animal’s skin
Examples from the Corpus
patterning• The identification of apparent patterning amongst types and sub-groups of ornamental metalwork can easily induce a false sense of satisfaction.• Look at the beautiful delicate patterning around the base of the vase.• The giraffes' distinctive patterning makes them difficult to see.• The zebra has very distinctive patterning.• Within each feather there is a further patterning which determines the distribution of the pigment.• With other creatures, their communications are largely a matter of instinctive patterning.• Their subtle energetic matrix, their inward patterning, their instinct, is that of water.• In fact, its sense organs and body are only an outward expression of this inward patterning, which we call instinct.• It was a maze, the regular patterning of the levels above broken up long ago.• How do they arrange the patterning of their domestic environment, their settlements, their houses, their productive and reproductive activities?• But some underlying patterning remains, despite the intervening years and the subtle shifts in values and beliefs. 