Versicolour

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Displaying a range of different colors or shades throughout an object or pattern
2. Marked by the presence of various colors, creating a striking visual effect
3. Exhibiting a variety of colors or tones within a single object or pattern

Etymology: "Versicolour" is the British spelling of "versicolor," and it comes straight from Latin "versicolor," built from "versus," meaning "turned" or "changed," and "color," meaning "color." The Latin sense was literally "turned color" or "of changing color," which hints at the original image: a surface that shifts hue as it catches the light or as the viewer moves. Latin writers used such compounds for things like shimmering cloth and animal skins whose tints seemed to alter from one angle to another. The English adjective keeps that sense of many colors blended or alternating, rather than a single hue. It is most often applied to things with mottled or iridescent surfaces, such as certain feathers, minerals, or flowers, where the eye sees several tints at once.

Synonyms: multicolored, variegated, polychromatic, iridescent, dappled

Antonyms: monochrome, uniform, homogeneous, plain, solid