Motteley

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A heterogeneous assortment of mixed elements that differ widely in kind or appearance ; the multicoloured garb worn traditionally by a court fool or jester
2. An unlike collection of diverse parts jumbled together ; the patchy, many-coloured outfit that a medieval jester used to wear
3. A miscellany of contrasting varieties gathered into one group ; the bright, parti-coloured clothing associated with a licensed court clown

Etymology: The spelling "motteley" is an older form of "motley," which first described something made of mixed colours or materials, such as a patchwork or a mottled cloth. Its exact source is uncertain. It may come from Old French, perhaps from a word meaning checkered or spotted, but no firm link has been established, so the origin is best treated as unresolved. The jester's costume sense grew out of the earlier meaning. A fool's garb was typically a patchwork of contrasting colours, so the name of the cloth came to belong to the wearer's outfit. Shakespeare's Jaques in "As You Like It" makes this link memorable when he declares that "motley's the only wear," and the word's association with clowns and entertainers has lasted since. From there, the sense spread to any miscellaneous mixture, such as a motley crew or a motley collection of people and ideas. The colourful cloth gave the word its character, and the jester gave it its most famous image.

Synonyms: motley, varied, diverse, mixed, miscellaneous

Antonyms: uniform, homogeneous, consistent