variegation

American  

[vair-ee-i-gey-shuhn, vair-i-gey-] / ˌvɛər i ɪˈgeɪ ʃən, ˌvɛər ɪˈgeɪ- /

noun

1. an act of variegating.

2. the state or condition of being variegated; variegated; varied coloration.

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Etymology

Origin of variegation

First recorded in 1640–50; variegate + -ion

Example Sentences

While autumn works its magic, remember it is possible to warm up the garden all year with yellow and golden foliage, in solids or patterns of variegation.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2022

In summer, Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cosmopolitan’ arches tall in ribbons of white and green variegation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 5, 2018

But the variegation is part of Carballido’s point.

From Washington Post • Feb. 8, 2017

Many cultivars of ivy can be found in and around gardens, some showing flashy variegation, others with finely dissected leaves.

From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2017

Outside, where the broad Channel appeared, a berylline and opalized variegation of ripples, currents, deeps, and shallows, lay as fair under the sun as a New Jerusalem, the shores being of gleaming sand. 

From The Hand of Ethelberta by Hardy, Thomas