mot·ley (m t l )adj. 1. Having elements of great variety or incongruity; heterogeneous: "Most Ivy League freshman classes are chosen from a motley collection of constituencies . . . and a bare majority of entering students can honestly be called scholars" (New York Times). 2. Having many colors; variegated; parti-colored: a motley tunic. n. pl. mot·leys 1. The parti-colored attire of a court jester. 2. A heterogeneous, often incongruous mixture of elements. [Middle English motlei, variegated cloth, variegated, probably from Anglo-Norman, probably from Middle English mot, speck; see mote1.] |
motley
Adjective
1. made up of people or things of different types: a motley assortment of mules, donkeys, and camels
2. multicoloured
Noun
History the costume of a jester [perhaps Old English mot speck]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  motley - a collection containing a variety of sorts of things; "a great assortment of cars was on display"; "he had a variety of disorders"; "a veritable smorgasbord of religions"assortment, miscellanea, miscellany, mixed bag, potpourri, salmagundi, smorgasbord, variety, mixture aggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage - several things grouped together or considered as a whole grab bag - an assortment of miscellaneous items witch's brew, witches' brew, witches' broth - a fearsome mixture; "a witches' brew of gangsters and terrorists"; "mixing dope and alcohol creates a witches' brew" range - a variety of different things or activities; "he answered a range of questions"; "he was impressed by the range and diversity of the collection" selection - an assortment of things from which a choice can be made; "the store carried a large selection of shoes" farrago, gallimaufry, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, melange, mingle-mangle, mishmash, oddments, odds and ends, omnium-gatherum, ragbag - a motley assortment of things alphabet soup - a confusing assortment; "Roosevelt created an alphabet soup of federal agencies" sampler - an assortment of various samples; "a candy sampler"; "a sampler of French poets" |
| 2. | motley - a garment made of motley (especially a court jester's costume) garment - an article of clothing; "garments of the finest silk" motley - a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England | |
| 3. | motley - a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England cloth, fabric, textile, material - artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress" motley - a garment made of motley (especially a court jester's costume) | |
| Verb | 1. |  motley - make something more diverse and varied; "Vary the menu"diversify - make (more) diverse; "diversify a course of study" |
| 2. | motley - make motley; color with different colors | |
| Adj. | 1. | motley - consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds; "an arrangement of assorted spring flowers"; "assorted sizes"; "miscellaneous accessories"; "a mixed program of baroque and contemporary music"; "a motley crew"; "sundry sciences commonly known as social"- I.A.Richards heterogeneous, heterogenous - consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature; "the population of the United States is vast and heterogeneous" |
| 2. |  motley - having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly; "a jester dressed in motley"; "the painted desert"; "a particolored dress"; "a piebald horse"; "pied daisies" |
motley
adjective miscellaneous, mixed, varied, diversified, mingled, unlike, assorted, disparate, dissimilar, heterogeneous << OPPOSITE homogeneous
Translations
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