Library / English Dictionary |
MOTLEY
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("motley" is a kind of...):
cloth; fabric; material; textile (artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers)
Holonyms ("motley" is a substance of...):
motley (a garment made of motley (especially a court jester's costume))
Derivation:
motley (make motley; color with different colors)
motley (having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A garment made of motley (especially a court jester's costume)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("motley" is a kind of...):
garment (an article of clothing)
Meronyms (substance of "motley"):
motley (a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England)
Derivation:
motley (having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A collection containing a variety of sorts of things
Example:
a veritable smorgasbord of religions
Synonyms:
assortment; miscellanea; miscellany; mixed bag; mixture; motley; potpourri; salmagundi; smorgasbord; variety
Classified under:
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects
Hypernyms ("motley" is a kind of...):
accumulation; aggregation; assemblage; collection (several things grouped together or considered as a whole)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "motley"):
grab bag (an assortment of miscellaneous items)
witch's brew; witches' brew; witches' broth (a fearsome mixture)
range (a variety of different things or activities)
selection (an assortment of things from which a choice can be made)
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)
sampler (an assortment of various samples)
Derivation:
motley (make something more diverse and varied)
motley (consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly
Example:
pied daisies
Synonyms:
calico; motley; multi-color; multi-colored; multi-colour; multi-coloured; multicolor; multicolored; multicolour; multicoloured; painted; particolored; particoloured; piebald; pied; varicolored; varicoloured
Classified under:
Similar:
colored; colorful; coloured (having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination)
Derivation:
motley (a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England)
motley (a garment made of motley (especially a court jester's costume))
Sense 2
Meaning:
Consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
Example:
sundry sciences commonly known as social
Synonyms:
assorted; miscellaneous; mixed; motley; sundry
Classified under:
Similar:
heterogeneous; heterogenous (consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature)
Derivation:
motley (a collection containing a variety of sorts of things)
III. (verb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Make motley; color with different colors
Synonyms:
motley; parti-color
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "motley" is one way to...):
color; color in; colorise; colorize; colour; colour in; colourise; colourize (add color to)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Derivation:
motley (a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Make something more diverse and varied
Example:
Vary the menu
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "motley" is one way to...):
diversify (make (more) diverse)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "motley"):
checker; chequer (variegate with different colors, shades, or patterns)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Derivation:
motley (a collection containing a variety of sorts of things)