leitmotiv noun.
['lʌɪtmǝʊti:f] Also
leitmotif.
L19.[German, from leit- leading + Motiv MOTIVE noun.]1. Music. A theme associated throughout a work with a particular person, situation, or sentiment.
L19.2. gen. A recurrent idea or image in a literary work etc.
L19.■ H. Acton She longed for a place of her own: this was the leitmotiv of her letters. ■ J. Berman Staircase imagery functions as a leitmotif in Eliot's writings. [TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲