Yup, you got it right.
Those phrases (ie, repeat rows 3-14 once) are 'literal'.
Some designers are nice enough to say:
"Work pattern Rows 1-14,
then repeat Pattern Rows 3-14 four times."
Or,
"Work pattern Rows 1-16 once, then repeat Rows 1-16 four times, for a total of 5 repeats worked in all."
FYI: I recently read that "pattern real estate" is expensive, and so designers whose work is accepted for magazines are given a literal "square inches" in which to write their pattern out. So they have to opt for the least amount of words and numbers. Sigh.
The point being, that is why magazine patterns are so brief and non-informational sometimes.
Just a tidbit that I thought I'd pass along.
Take care, and it was nice to see your post!
