variorum

[vair-ee-awr-uhm, -ohr-]

adjective

1. containing different versions of the text by various editors.

   a variorum edition of Shakespeare.

2. containing many notes and commentaries by a number of scholars or critics.

   a variorum text of Cicero.

noun

1. a variorum edition or text.

variorum

/ ˌvɛərɪˈɔːrəm /

adjective

1. containing notes by various scholars or critics or various versions of the text

   a variorum edition

noun

1. an edition or text of this kind

Word History and Origins

Origin of variorum¹

1720–30; short for Latin ēditiō cum notīs variōrum edition with the notes of various persons

Word History and Origins

Origin of variorum¹

C18: from Latin phrase ēditiō cum notīs variōrum edition with the notes of various commentators

Example Sentences

In the case of a few of the more important poems, especially those dealing with the Revolution, I have given variorum readings.

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When we survey the massive variorum edition of Shakespeare, we are struck by the circumstance that nothing similar has happened to any other national author.

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It is alluded to by Shakespeare, and was contributed to the variorum edition by Blakeway.

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The eleventh edition of Boswell’s Johnson was brought out by John Wilson Croker in 1831; in this the original text is expanded by numerous letters and variorum anecdotes and is already knee-deep in annotation.

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Arranged by Centuries, with variorum illustrations, by C. G. Wheeler.

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