Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Origin: Perhaps from mote

motley

 adjective
     
mot‧ley [only before noun]

a motley collection/crew/assortment etc

a group of people or things that are very different from each other and do not seem to belong together:
I looked at the motley bunch we were sailing with and began to feel uneasy about the trip.
His pockets contained a motley collection of coins, movie ticket stubs, and old candies.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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