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

The results are Romantic landscapes in miniature, with the variegation of the stone transforming into fields, skies and mountains whose beauty is further enhanced by the delicate metalwork in which they’re mounted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

“This variegation decreases their fitness, which makes them more scarce,” Jonard said.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 9, 2021

But the variegation is part of Carballido’s point.

From Washington Post • Feb. 8, 2017

But these shifts feel deliberate, like the clicking of a slide projector rather than the smooth variegation of a kaleidoscope, and the landscape always clears atop that steady pulse.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2016

The secret of our discontent, possibly, lies in the fact that variegation in plants that are normally green is not, in its essence, a sign of health but of wasting sickness.

From Trees and Shrubs for English Gardens by Cook, Ernest Thomas