diff --git a/jquery.highlight.js b/jquery.highlight.js
index 9dcf3c7..4a961d1 100644
--- a/jquery.highlight.js
+++ b/jquery.highlight.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ jQuery.fn.unhighlight = function (options) {
 };
 
 jQuery.fn.highlight = function (words, options) {
-    var settings = { className: 'highlight', element: 'span', caseSensitive: false, wordsOnly: false };
+    var settings = { className: 'highlight', element: 'span', caseSensitive: false, wordsOnly: false, pattern: undefined };
     jQuery.extend(settings, options);
     
     if (words.constructor === String) {
@@ -95,14 +95,17 @@ jQuery.fn.highlight = function (words, options) {
     if (words.length == 0) { return this; };
 
     var flag = settings.caseSensitive ? "" : "i";
-    var pattern = "(" + words.join("|") + ")";
-    if (settings.wordsOnly) {
-        pattern = "\\b" + pattern + "\\b";
+    var re;
+    if (settings.pattern) {
+    	re = new RegExp(settings.pattern, flag);
+    } else {
+		var pattern = "(" + words.join("|") + ")";
+		if (settings.wordsOnly) {
+			pattern = "\\b" + pattern + "\\b";
+		}
+		re = new RegExp(pattern, flag);
     }
-    var re = new RegExp(pattern, flag);
-    
     return this.each(function () {
         jQuery.highlight(this, re, settings.element, settings.className);
     });
 };
-