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

The in-vogue plants right now include the Philodendrons, Hoyas, Anthuriums, Scindapsus — especially silver varieties like ‘Platinum’ — and plants with white variegation or velvety leaves.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 9, 2021

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

The Rockies may offer wilder wildernesses, but you don’t experience the pleasure of sharp cultural variegation as you move from place to place.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 11, 2016

We have seen that variegation is transmitted much more feebly by seed from a branch which had become variegated through bud-variation, than from plants which were variegated as seedlings.

From The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Volume II (of 2) by Darwin, Charles