patois
/ˈpætwɑ/
noun
- A regional dialect or informal language that is not the standard form of a country, often spoken in a particular area or by a particular group.
- The older villagers still speak a local patois that is hard for outsiders to understand.
- The novel includes dialogue written in the rural patois of the region.
- In Jamaica, many people speak a patois that mixes English with African language influences.
- The special vocabulary or jargon of a particular group or profession.
- The medical patois used by doctors can be confusing to patients.
- Surfers have their own patois for describing waves and weather conditions.
- Computer programmers often use a patois full of acronyms and technical terms.
Antonyms