Advertisement

variety (n.)

1530s, "change of fortunes," from Middle French variété and directly from Latin varietatem (nominative varietas) "difference, diversity; a kind, variety, species, sort," from varius "various" (see vary). Meaning diversity, absence of monotony" is from 1540s; that of "collection of different things" is from 1550s; sense of "something different from others" is from 1610s. In reference to music hall or theatrical performances of a mixed nature, first recorded 1868, American English.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Definitions of variety from WordNet

variety (n.)
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things;
he had a variety of disorders
Synonyms: assortment / mixture / mixed bag / miscellany / miscellanea / salmagundi / smorgasbord / potpourri / motley
variety (n.)
noticeable heterogeneity;
the range and variety of his work is amazing
Synonyms: diverseness / diversity / multifariousness
variety (n.)
(biology) a taxonomic category consisting of members of a species that differ from others of the same species in minor but heritable characteristics;
variety (n.)
a show consisting of a series of short unrelated performances;
Synonyms: variety show
variety (n.)
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality;
Synonyms: kind / sort / form
variety (n.)
a difference that is usually pleasant;
he goes to France for variety
Synonyms: change
From wordnet.princeton.edu