ppl. a. [f. VARY v.]
1. Differing from one another; of different or various sorts or kinds.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., III. i. 86. Where like a sweet mellodius bird it sung Sweet varied notes inchanting euery eare. Ibid., L. L. L., V. ii. 775. Varying in subiects as the eie doth roule, To euerie varied obiect in his glance.
1718. Prior, Solomon, I. 350. How shall We next o’er Earth and Seas pursue The vary’d Forms of ev’ry thing we view.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St. Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), II. 268. The very birds and quadrupeds, which are more beautiful, and of species more varied, in islands than any where else.
1851. Helps, Comp. Solit., x. 181. So varied, extensive and pervading are human distresses.
1878. Stewart & Tait, Unseen Univ., ii. § 76. 87. That astronomy is competent to explain the varied motions of the heavenly bodies.
1880. Grove’s Dict. Music, II. 567. The art of adapting musical ideas to the varied capabilities of Stringed, Wind, Keyed, and other Instruments.
2. Marked by variation or variety; presenting different forms or qualities on this account.
1732. Pope, Ess. Man, I. 27. Observe … what other planets circle other suns, What vary’d Being peoples ev’ry star.
1748. Gray, Alliance, 27. Howe’er opinion tinge the varied Mind.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 172. The sloping land … Displaying, on its varied side, the grace Of hedge-row beauties numberless.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xiv. When I behold … this rich and varied land, with its castles, churches,… and fertile fields.
1838. G. P. R. James, Robber, iv. The path she followed was like a varied but a pleasant life.
1887. Ruskin, Præterita, II. 252. Sketching the boat and her sails in their varied action.
b. poet. Of the Deity or persons.
a. 1748. Thomson, Hymn, 2. These, as they change, Almighty Father, these Are but the varied God. The rolling year Is full of thee.
1763. Churchill, Apology, Poems I. 68. The varied actor flies from part to part.
3. Vari-colored, variegated; esp. in the names of birds or animals.
1715. Pope, Iliad, IV. 225. Stiff with the rich embroider’d work around, My varied belt repell’d the flying wound.
1781. Pennant, Hist. Quad., I. 195. Varied Monkey. Ibid., II. 413. Varied Squirrel…: upper part of the body varied with black, white, and brown.
1782. Latham, Gen. Synop. Birds, I. II. 568. Varied Woodpecker.
1817. Stephens, in Shaw’s Gen. Zool., X. II. 333. Senegal Flycatcher…. Varied Flycatcher, with white eye-brows, and the outer tail-feathers half white.
1861. Chambers’s Encycl., II. 726/1. Varied Monkey (Cercopithecus Mona)—an African species.
1891. Cent. Dict., s.vv. Pickerel, Shrike, Thrush.
4. Comb. in varied-colo[u]red, -winged adjs.
1811. Shaw, Gen. Zool., VIII. II. 420. Varied-winged Parrakeet…. Green Parrakeet, with blue crown, and wing-coverts varied with black, blue, and yellow.
1818. Hervé, How to Enjoy Paris (ed. 2), 18. A little messenger of comfort, clad in varied-coloured rags.
1845. J. Coulter, Adv. in Pacific, xiv. 215. The varied-coloured bright feathers of the ground-parrot.
