Word of the Day

: July 26, 2019

motley

adjective MAHT-lee

What It Means

1 : variegated in color

2 : made up of many different people or things

motley in Context

Many of the jesters at the medieval festival were dressed in a bright motley garb.

"Geena Davis will guest star in the third season of 'GLOW,' the Netflix comedy series about a motley crew of female wrestlers." — Lillian Brown, The Boston Globe, 11 June 2019

Did You Know?

Motley made its debut as an English adjective and noun in the 14th century, but etymologists aren't completely sure where it came from. Many think it probably derived from the Middle English mot, meaning "mote" or "speck." The word is also used as a noun identifying a multicolored fabric, a garment made from such a fabric, or—perhaps the best known sense of all—the fool who often wore such outfits in the European courts of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.