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Motley vs Piebald - What's the difference?

motley | piebald | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between motley and piebald

is that motley is comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity; heterogeneous while piebald is spotted or blotched, especially in black and white.

As nouns the difference between motley and piebald

is that motley is an incongruous mixture while piebald is an animal with piebald coloration.

motley

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity; heterogeneous.
  • *
  • *:Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers,. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.
  • Having many colours; variegated.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An incongruous mixture.
  • A jester's multicoloured clothes.
  • (by extension) A jester; a fool.
  • * 1598 , , III. iii. 71:
  • Will you be married, motley ?
  • * 1609 , :
  • Alas, 'tis true, I have gone here and there, / And made myself a motley to the view,

    piebald

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Spotted or blotched, especially in black and white.
  • * 1965 , , Over Sea, Under Stone , page 20:
  • "Well, isn't that just like a girl. All this round you, and you only see a bit of dust. It'll brush off." He patted ineffectually at his piebald shirt.
  • * 2001 , Michel Faber, Under the Skin , page 4:
  • Usually, however, the hitcher was standing exactly where she'd first passed him, his arm perhaps just marginally less erect, his clothing (if rain was setting in) just that little bit more piebald .
  • * 2011 , Stanley Coren & Sarah Hodgson, Understanding Your Dog For Dummies :
  • The classic example of a piebald dog is the Dalmatian.
  • (figuratively) Of mixed character, heterogeneous.
  • * 1839 , Charles Hodge, Henry Boynton Smith, The Biblical Repertory and Princeton Review , Volume XI, page 544:
  • And at the present day, the wanton introduction of scientific terms from the Greek and Latin, and of phrases from the French, threatens to render our tongue still more piebald , heterogeneous and unwieldy.
  • * 1864 , T. E. Espin, Supply and Training of Ministers'', in , ''Report of the Proceedings of the Church Congress [1863] , page 67:
  • Hence you will make the piebald' Church more ' piebald than ever.
  • * 1970 , , Volume 95, page 67:
  • Out there on the stage is the largest — and most piebald — rock band in captivity.

    Coordinate terms

    * variegated

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An animal with piebald coloration.
  • Anagrams

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