medley

[ med-lee ]

/ ˈmɛd li /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR medley ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural med·leys.

a mixture, especially of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge; jumble.

a piece of music combining tunes or passages from various sources: a medley of hit songs from Broadway shows.

adjective

Archaic. mixed; mingled.

Nearby words

mediums, medius, medivac, medlar, medlars, medley, medley relay, medline, medon, medorrhea, medrese

Origin of medley

1300–50; Middle English medlee (noun and adj.) < Anglo-French, noun and adj. use of feminine of past participle of medler to mix, fight; see meddle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for medley

Not to mention what happens when this medley of men comes back home.
Dutch Biker Gangs Vs. ISIS|Nadette De Visser, Christopher Dickey|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The jukebox plays a medley of sixties tunes, an apt and agreeable feature.
All Hail Richard Hamilton, the Father of British Pop Art|Chloë Ashby|February 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Years passed and I decided to upload a medley of these ragtime rock songs on YouTube, and that gained some traction.
Doo-Wop ‘We Can’t Stop’: Behind the Ridiculously Good Miley Cyrus Cover|Kevin Fallon|September 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Thankfully, Monteith's duel with Mr. Schuester provided a perfect opportunity for such a medley.
Cory Monteith’s Best ‘Glee’ Performances|Jake Heller|July 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST

His clothes are a medley of complicated textures, startling but enrapturing color palettes and unabashed luxury.
Subtle Sophistication: Bottega Veneta’s Tomas Maier|Robin Givhan|October 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
All at once a violent commotion, accompanied by a medley of sounds, came from the fore part of the hold.
The Quest of the 'Golden Hope'|Percy F. Westerman
At length the train glided in unconcernedly, and shot out a medley of passengers.
The Grey Wig: Stories and Novelettes|Israel Zangwill
It included a part in the Whig Examiner and chief responsibility for the Medley.
Reflections on Dr. Swift's Letter to Harley (1712) and The British Academy (1712)|John Oldmixon
"But I cannot bear such a medley of absurdities," he went on.
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 15|Various
A bottle of red wine and a medley of tinned things from home deputized in their absence.
Bullets & Billets|Bruce Bairnsfather

British Dictionary definitions for medley

medley

/ (ˈmɛdlɪ) /

noun

a mixture of various types or elements

a musical composition consisting of various tunes arranged as a continuous whole

Also called: medley relay

swimming a race in which a different stroke is used for each length
athletics a relay race in which each leg has a different distance

an archaic word for melee

adjective

of, being, or relating to a mixture or variety

Word Origin for medley

C14: from Old French medlee, from medler to mix, quarrel

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012