piebald
1 of 2adjective
pie·bald ˈpī-ˌbȯld 
1
: composed of incongruous parts
2
: of different colors
especially : spotted or blotched with black and white
piebald
2 of 2noun
: a piebald animal (such as a horse)
Did you know?
The Feathered History of Piebald
To many people, the noisy black and white birds that go by the scientific name Pica pica—better known as magpies—are nothing but pests. But the Latin root that was adopted for their name isn't a linguistic nuisance; it played an important role in the development of piebald. The pie of piebald (pie is another name for a magpie) derives from pica, which is Latin for "magpie." The other part of piebald comes from the word bald, which can mean "marked with white"; it can also be found in skewbald, an adjective used to describe animals marked with patches of white and any other color but black.
Synonyms
Adjective
- assorted
- eclectic
- heterogeneous
- indiscriminate
- kitchen-sink
- magpie
- miscellaneous
- mixed
- motley
- patchwork
- promiscuous
- raggle-taggle
- ragtag
- varied
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective a model who owes his striking good looks to his markedly piebald ethnic background a piebald horse that looked like it had been splashed with black and white paint
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2022 As for dogs like Sassy, piebald with mange and gnawing at the bug bites on her shins, there was no chance — none — to leave a shelter alive. Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2022 The piebald genetic abnormality can create defects — three of this family’s deer becoming deaf. Brian Whipkey, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2022 Rare 'piebald' deer known for unusual markings find home with Pennsylvania family as pets. Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2022 Still, the current piebald has managed to survive and thrive. Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al, 16 Nov. 2021 On this episode, a rare piebald squirrel has been spotted in Alabama at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. al, 17 Nov. 2021 There’s also Aurelio, a bachelor whose piebald soul mate, Birba, with her renowned nose for truffles, is his greatest joy. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Mar. 2021 To commemorate Napoleon’s victory over Austria at the Battle of Marengo, David painted him charging up a mountain on a piebald steed, right arm pointing skyward, trademark bicorne on his head, cool and cocksure as his horse bucks its front heels. Jason Farago, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2020 See More
Noun
The local animal control officer responded and shared photos of the piebald fawn on Facebook. Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2022 As for dogs like Sassy, piebald with mange and gnawing at the bug bites on her shins, there was no chance — none — to leave a shelter alive. Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2022 The piebald genetic abnormality can create defects — three of this family’s deer becoming deaf. Brian Whipkey, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2022 Rare 'piebald' deer known for unusual markings find home with Pennsylvania family as pets. Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2022 Still, the current piebald has managed to survive and thrive. Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al, 16 Nov. 2021 On this episode, a rare piebald squirrel has been spotted in Alabama at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. al, 17 Nov. 2021 There’s also Aurelio, a bachelor whose piebald soul mate, Birba, with her renowned nose for truffles, is his greatest joy. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Mar. 2021 To commemorate Napoleon’s victory over Austria at the Battle of Marengo, David painted him charging up a mountain on a piebald steed, right arm pointing skyward, trademark bicorne on his head, cool and cocksure as his horse bucks its front heels. Jason Farago, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2020 See More Word History
First Known Use
Adjective
1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1722, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
piebald
adjective
pie·bald ˈpī-ˌbȯld
: spotted with two colors and especially black and white
a piebald horse
piebald
adjective
1
as in eclectic
consisting of many things of different sorts a model who owes his striking good looks to his markedly piebald ethnic background Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- eclectic
- mixed
- assorted
- varied
- magpie
- patchwork
- miscellaneous
- diverse
- promiscuous
- motley
- messy
- indiscriminate
- heterogeneous
- raggle-taggle
- chaotic
- ragtag
- hybrid
- littered
- various
- dishevelled
- multifarious
- disheveled
- disordered
- divergent
- disarranged
- sundry
- disparate
- combined
- kitchen-sink
- composite
- confused
- intermixed
- jumbled
- blended
- messed
- multiple
- muddled
- fused
- manifold
- disarrayed
- mingled
- commixed
- cluttered
- commingled
- amalgamated
- multiplex
- intermingled
- unclassified
- conglomerate
- merged
- farraginous
- myriad
- incorporated
- unsorted
- conglomerated
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- homogeneous
- uniform
- same
- identical
- distinctive
- like
- monolithic
- distinct
- individual
- separate
- alike
2
as in dapple
having blotches of two or more colors a piebald horse that looked like it had been splashed with black and white paint Synonyms & Similar Words
- dapple
- pinto
- colored
- spotted
- marbled
- blotched
- pied
- splotched
- colorful
- blotchy
- dappled
- stained
- mottled
- brindle
- flecked
- speckled
- streaked
- calico
- shaded
- specked
- varicolored
- pigmented
- dyed
- multicolored
- polychrome
- checkered
- brindled
- dotted
- polychromatic
- streaked
- marked
- variegated
- blotted
- stippled
- motley
- sprinkled
- discolored
- peppered
- bespattered
- spattered
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- monochromatic
- monochrome
- solid
- monochromic