1. Consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
   "a motley crew";
   - assorted, miscellaneous, mixed, sundry
    
2. Having sections or patches coloured differently and usually brightly
   "a jester dressed in motley";
   - calico, multicolor [US], multi-color [US], multicolour [Brit, Cdn], multi-colour [Brit, Cdn], multicolored [US], multi-colored [US], multicoloured [Brit, Cdn], multi-coloured [Brit, Cdn], painted, particolored [US], particoloured [Brit, Cdn], piebald, pied, varicolored [US], varicoloured [Brit, Cdn], parti-color [N. Amer], parti-colour [Brit]

1. A collection containing many different types of things
   "a great motley of cars was on display";
   - assortment, mixture, mixed bag [informal], miscellany, miscellanea, variety, salmagundi, smorgasbord, potpourri, smörgåsbord
    
2. A multicoloured woollen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England
   "The historical reenactors wore authentic motley to represent medieval jesters"
    
3. A garment made of motley (especially a court jester's costume)
   "The entertainer donned his motley before performing at the Renaissance fair"

Derived forms: motliest, motlier, motleys

See also: colored [US], colorful [US], coloured [Brit, Cdn], colourful [Brit, Cdn], heterogeneous, heterogenous [non-standard]

Type of: accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, cloth, collection, fabric, garment, material, textile

Encyclopedia: Motley, MN