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Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class III. Words Relating to Matter
Section III. Organic Matter
2. Sensation
Complementary Colors

440. Variegation.

   NOUN:VARIEGATION; dichroism, trichroism; iridescence, irisation, play of colors, polychrome, maculation, spottiness, striæ.
  [COMPARISONS] spectrum, rainbow, iris, tulip, peacock, chameleon, butterfly, zebra, leopard, jaguar, panther, cheetah, ocelot, ophite, nacre, mother-of-pearl, tortoise shell; opal, cymophane, marble; mackerel, mackerel sky; harlequin; Joseph’s coat; tricolor.
  CHECK, plaid, tartan, patchwork; marquetry, parquet, parquetry, mosaic, tesseræ, tessellation, checkerwork; chessboard, checkers or chequers.
   VERB:VARIEGATE, stripe, streak, checker or chequer, fleck, bespeckle, speckle, besprinkle, sprinkle; stipple, maculate, dot, bespot; tattoo, inlay, tessellate. damascene; embroider, braid, quilt.
  be variegated &c. adj.
   ADJECTIVE:VARIEGATED &c. v.; many-colored, many-hued; divers-colored, party-colored or parti-colored, dichromatic, polychromatic; bicolor, tricolor, versi-color; of all the colors of the rainbow, of all manner of colors; kaleidoscopic, nævose or nevose, dædal.
  IRIDESCENT, opaline, opalescent, prismatic, nacreous, pearly, shot, gorge de pigeon [F.], chatoyant; irised, irisated, pavonine; tortoise-shell.
  MOTTLED, pied, piebald, skewbald; motley, marbled, pepper-and-salt, paned, dappled, clouded, cymophanous.
  CHECKERED or chequered, mosaic, tessellated, plaid.
  SPOTTED, spotty; punctate or punctated [rare], powdered; speckled &c. v.; freckled, flea-bitten, studded; flecked, fleckered.
  STRIATED, barred, veined; brinded, brindled, tabby; watered; strigose, strigillose, strigate, striolate; listed; embroidered &c. v.
   QUOTATIONS:
  1. To paint the rainbow’s varying hues.—Scott
  2. Iris all hues, roses and jessamin.—Paradise Lost
  3. ‘Fly pride,’ says the peacock.—Comedy of Errors
  4. That royal bird, whose tail’s a diadem.—Byron