motleyedadj.
/ˈmɒtlɪd/, U.S. /ˈmɑtlid/ Chiefly poetic.
Particoloured, variegated, chequered. Formerly also (occasionally): †diverse, varied (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > variegation > [adjective]
fawa700
medleyc1350
freckledc1380
motleyc1380
pied1382
specked1382
vary1382
partyc1385
parted1393
peckleda1400
polymitec1425
sere-colouredc1425
vairc1425
discoloured?1440
motleyed1447
varying1488
sheld1507
fleckered1508
piet1508
mellay1515
particoloured1530
pickled1552
varied1578
mingled1580
partly coloured1582
chequered1592
medley-coloured1593
mingle-coloured1593
piebald1594
feathered1610
changeable1612
particolour1612
enamelled1613
variousa1618
pie-coloured1619
jaspered1620
gangean1623
versicolour1628
patchwork1634
damasked1648
variously-coloureda1660
variegateda1661
agated1665
varicoloured1665
damaska1674
various-coloureda1711
pieted1721
versicoloured1721
diversicoloured1756
mosaic1776
harlequin1779
spanged1788
calico1807
piety1811
varied-coloured1811
discolorate1826
heterochromous1842
jaspé1851
discolor1859
discolorous1860
jasperoid1876
damascened1879
heterochromatic1895
variotinted1903
batik1914
varihued1921
rumbled1930
damasky1931
pepper-and-salt1940
partihued1959
the world > relative properties > relationship > variety > [adjective] > miscellaneous or heterogeneous > incongruously mixed
medleya1400
intermellé1487
farraginary1538
hotchpotch1556
promiscuous1579
hotchpot1588
pied1594
motley1601
hodge-podge1602
promiscual1602
macaronic1611
farraginous1616
throughother1626
mishmash1652
promiscous1656
hotchpotchly1674
hodge-podging1772
hashy1781
mixty-maxty1786
motleyed1798
gallimaufrical1836
odd-and-end1836
chow-chow1844
speckled1845
ragbag1882
disherent1890
1447 O. Bokenham Lives of Saints (Arun.) (1938) 4047 In-to þe motleyde mede Flourys to gadyrn of crafty eloquens.
1630 M. Drayton Muses Elizium vi. 51 The motlied Meadowes then,..Shute vp their spicy sweets.
1742 W. Collins Persian Eclogues iii. 16 Gay-motley'd Pinks and sweet Junquils she chose.
1798 R. P. Tour in Wales (MS) 35 They were a motleyed throng of quadrupeds and the human species.
1838 C. H. Gilman Poetry of Travelling in U.S. 218 The Snake, that shines in motlied hues.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1447