motley -
a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England
cloth,
textile,
fabric,
material artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress"
motley a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England
motley -
a garment made of motley (especially a court jester's costume)
garment an article of clothing; "garments of the finest silk"
motley -
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things; "a great assortment of cars was on display"; "he had a variety of disorders"; "a veritable smorgasbord of religions"
range a place for shooting (firing or driving) projectiles of various kinds; "the army maintains a missile range in the desert"; "any good golf club will have a range where you can practice"
selection an assortment of things from which a choice can be made; "the store carried a large selection of shoes"
diversify vary in order to spread risk or to expand; "The company diversified"
checker,
chequer variegate with different colors, shades, or patterns
Adjective
motley -
having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly; "a jester dressed in motley"; "the painted desert"; "a particolored dress"; "a piebald horse"; "pied daisies"
motley -
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds; "an arrangement of assorted spring flowers"; "assorted sizes"; "miscellaneous accessories"; "a mixed program of baroque and contemporary music"; "a motley crew"; "sundry sciences commonly known as social"- I.A.Richards
heterogeneous,
heterogenous consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature; "the population of the United States is vast and heterogeneous"
Motley refers to the traditional costume of the court jester, or the harlequin character in commedia dell'arte. The latter wears a patchwork of red, green and blue diamonds that is still a fashion motif. The word motley is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as a cognate with medley, although the unrelated mottled has also contributed to the meaning.
