pat‧tern‧ing /ˈpætənɪŋ $ -tər-/ noun [uncountable]

1. technical the development of particular ways of behaving, thinking, doing things etc that are the result of copying and repeating actions, language etc:
cultural patterning
patterning of
the patterning of parent–child relationships

2. patterns of a particular kind, especially on an animal’s skin

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲