motley Hear it!

motley definition

mot·ley (mät′lē)

adjective

  1. of many colors or patches of color
  2. Rare wearing many-colored garments a motley fool
  3. having or composed of many different or clashing elements; heterogeneous a motley group

Etymology: ME mottley < ?

noun

  1. cloth of mixed colors
  2. Rare a garment of various colors, worn by a clown or jester
  3. Rare a fool or jester
  4. a combination of diverse or clashing elements
Motley definition

Mot·ley (mät′lē)

Motley, John Lothrop (lō′t̸hrəp) 1814-77; U.S. historian & diplomat

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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