Variegator

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mechanism or individual that adds diversity or variation to a specific aspect
2. An object or person that changes colors or forms to produce distinct visual effects
3. Something or someone that introduces variety or differences to a subject ; an object or being that alters appearance with multiple colors or patterns

Etymology: "Variegator" is a plain agent noun built from "variegate" plus the suffix "-or," which marks a person or thing that performs an action. "Variegate" comes from the Latin "variegare," meaning "to make varied in colour," itself built from "varius" ("various, diverse, changing") and "agere" ("to do, drive"). The earliest English uses of "variegate" date to the early 1600s, and it has long been used for patterned leaves and mottled stone or fabric. The agent form "variegator" is far rarer and is mostly found in specialist or dictionary contexts, and it is not a long-established everyday term. Its meaning, a thing or person that changes colour or form to produce distinct visual effects, follows directly from the verb, so the word needs no special history beyond that.