The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Motif \Mo"tif\, n. [F.]
   Motive. [archaic]
   [1913 Webster]

   2. In literature and the fine arts, a salient feature or
      element of a composition or work; esp., the theme, or
      central or dominant feature; specif. (Music), a motive[3].
      See also leitmotif.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

            This motif, of old things lost, is a favorite one
            for the serious ballade.              --R. M. Alden.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

            The design . . . is . . . based on the peacock -- a
            motif favored by decorative artists of all ages.
                                                  --R. D. Benn.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   3. (Dressmaking) A decorative appliqu['e] design or figure,
      as of lace or velvet, used in trimming; also, a repeated
      design.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

motif
    n 1: a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or
         colors, as in architecture or decoration [syn: motif,
         motive]
    2: a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music
       [syn: motif, motive]
    3: a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or
       artistic work; "it was the usual `boy gets girl' theme" [syn:
       theme, motif]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):

Motif

   The standard graphical user interface and window manager
   from OSF, running on the X Window System.