diff --git a/src/syndicate/patterns.nim b/src/syndicate/patterns.nim
index 9459e5b..b7aa8fc 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/patterns.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/patterns.nim
@@ -277,15 +277,26 @@ proc inject*(pat: Pattern; bindings: openArray[(Preserve[Cap], Pattern)]): Patte
   for (key, val) in bindings:
     result.dcompound.dict.entries[key] = val
 
-proc recordPattern*(label: Preserve[Cap], fields: varargs[Pattern]): Pattern =
+proc grabRecord*(label: Preserve[Cap], fields: varargs[Pattern]): Pattern =
   runnableExamples:
     from std/unittest import check
     import syndicate/actors, preserves
     check:
-      $recordPattern("Says".toSymbol(Cap), grab(), grab()) ==
+      $grabRecord("Says".toSymbol(Cap), grab(), grab()) ==
         """<rec Says [<bind <_>> <bind <_>>]>"""
   DCompoundRec(label: label, fields: fields.toSeq).toPattern
 
+proc grabDictionary*(bindings: sink openArray[(Value, Pattern)]): Pattern =
+  ## Construct a pattern that grabs some dictionary pairs.
+  DCompoundDict(entries: bindings.toTable).toPattern
+
+proc grabDictionary*(bindings: sink openArray[(string, Pattern)]): Pattern =
+  ## Construct a pattern that grabs some dictionary pairs.
+  ## Keys are converted from strings to symbols.
+  result = DCompoundDict().toPattern
+  for (key, val) in bindings.items:
+    result.dcompound.dict.entries[key.toSymbol(Cap)] = val
+
 type
   Path* = seq[Value]
   Paths* = seq[Path]