1 variegate | Definition of variegate

variegate

verb
var·​ie·​gate | \ ˈver-ē-ə-ˌgāt How to pronounce variegate (audio) , ˈver-i-ˌgāt How to pronounce variegate (audio) \
variegated; variegating

Definition of variegate

transitive verb

1 : to diversify in external appearance especially with different colors : dapple
2 : to enliven or give interest to by means of variety

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Other Words from variegate

variegator \ ˈver-​ē-​ə-​ˌgā-​tər How to pronounce variegator (audio) , ˈver-​i-​ˌgā-​ \ noun

Examples of variegate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are many varieties of mint — smooth-leaved, crinkly, variegated, fuzzy, shiny. Jeanmarie Brownson, Twin Cities, "Refresh your summer cooking with versatile mint for grilled meats, salads and tea," 18 July 2019 There are many varieties of mint — smooth-leaved, crinkly, variegated, fuzzy, shiny. Jeanmarie Brownson, Twin Cities, "Refresh your summer cooking with versatile mint for grilled meats, salads and tea," 18 July 2019 There are many varieties of mint — smooth-leaved, crinkly, variegated, fuzzy, shiny. Jeanmarie Brownson, Twin Cities, "Refresh your summer cooking with versatile mint for grilled meats, salads and tea," 18 July 2019 There are many varieties of mint — smooth-leaved, crinkly, variegated, fuzzy, shiny. Jeanmarie Brownson, chicagotribune.com, "Refresh your summer cooking with versatile mint for grilled meats, salads and tea," 5 July 2019 And Sedum ‘Spurium Tri-Color’ is variegated pink, green and white. Colleen Smith, The Denver Post, "The perfect plant that’s easy enough for beginner gardeners but also interesting enough for experts," 17 June 2019 Like a craggy coastline, the peaks in the star’s brightness are variegated by smaller peaks occurring on shorter time scales, and those peaks are studded with even smaller and quicker peaks. Quanta Magazine, "Strange Stars Pulse to the Golden Mean," 10 Mar. 2015 Granite comes in a wide array of colors: vibrant blues and variegated browns, to midnight black, deep red and mottled white. Joe Lindsey, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Countertop Materials," 9 May 2019 And now there are also double flowered forms, variegated and cutleaf forms — essentially the coal dust covered old smooth hydrangea has now acquired a whole closet full of glass slippers. Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "Why this Kentucky plant is the 'Manolo Blahniks' of the garden world," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'variegate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of variegate

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for variegate

borrowed from Latin variegātus, past participle of variegāare "to diversify with different colors," from varius "having contrasting colors, various entry 1" + -egāre, variant of -igāare, verb suffix based on -ig-, nominal derivative of agere "to drive, do," as in rēmig-, rēmex "oarsman," hence rēmigāre "to row" — more at agent

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More from Merriam-Webster on variegate

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with variegate

Britannica English: Translation of variegate for Arabic Speakers