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varietiesmore about varieties

varieties


  1  definition  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Variety  \Va*ri"e*ty\,  n.;  pl  {Varieties}.  [L.  varietas:  cf  F. 
  vari['e]t['e].  See  {Various}.] 
  1.  The  quality  or  state  of  being  various;  intermixture  or 
  succession  of  different  things  diversity; 
  multifariousness. 
 
  Variety  is  nothing  else  but  a  continued  novelty. 
  --South. 
 
  The  variety  of  colors  depends  upon  the  composition 
  of  light.  --Sir  I. 
  Newton. 
 
  For  earth  this  variety  from  heaven.  --Milton. 
 
  There  is  a  variety  in  the  tempers  of  good  men. 
  --Atterbury. 
 
  2.  That  which  is  various.  Specifically: 
  a  A  number  or  collection  of  different  things  a  varied 
  assortment;  as  a  variety  of  cottons  and  silks. 
 
  He  .  .  .  wants  more  time  to  do  that  variety  of 
  good  which  his  soul  thirsts  after  --Law. 
  b  Something  varying  or  differing  from  others  of  the  same 
  general  kind  one  of  a  number  of  things  that  are  akin; 
  a  sort;  as  varieties  of  wood,  land,  rocks,  etc 
  c  (Biol.)  An  individual,  or  group  of  individuals,  of  a 
  species  differing  from  the  rest  in  some  one  or  more  of 
  the  characteristics  typical  of  the  species,  and 
  capable  either  of  perpetuating  itself  for  a  period,  or 
  of  being  perpetuated  by  artificial  means  hence  a 
  subdivision,  or  peculiar  form  of  a  species. 
 
  Note:  Varieties  usually  differ  from  species  in  that  any  two 
  however  unlike,  will  generally  propagate  indefinitely 
  (unless  they  are  in  their  nature  unfertile,  as  some 
  varieties  of  rose  and  other  cultivated  plants);  in 
  being  a  result  of  climate,  food,  or  other  extrinsic 
  conditions  or  influences,  but  generally  by  a  sudden, 
  rather  than  a  gradual,  development;  and  in  tending  in 
  many  cases  to  lose  their  distinctive  peculiarities  when 
  the  individuals  are  left  to  a  state  of  nature,  and 
  especially  if  restored  to  the  conditions  that  are 
  natural  to  typical  individuals  of  the  species.  Many 
  varieties  of  domesticated  animals  and  of  cultivated 
  plants  have  been  directly  produced  by  man. 
  d  In  inorganic  nature,  one  of  those  forms  in  which  a 
  species  may  occur,  which  differ  in  minor 
  characteristics  of  structure,  color,  purity  of 
  composition,  etc 
 
  Note:  These  may  be  viewed  as  variations  from  the  typical 
  species  in  its  most  perfect  and  purest  form  or  as  is 
  more  commonly  the  case,  all  the  forms,  including  the 
  latter,  may  rank  as  Varieties.  Thus  the  sapphire  is  a 
  blue  variety,  and  the  ruby  a  red  variety,  of  corundum; 
  again  calcite  has  many  Varieties  differing  in  form  and 
  structure,  as  Iceland  spar,  dogtooth  spar,  satin  spar, 
  and  also  others  characterized  by  the  presence  of  small 
  quantities  of  magnesia,  iron,  manganese,  etc  Still 
  again  there  are  Varieties  of  granite  differing  in 
  structure,  as  graphic  granite,  porphyritic  granite,  and 
  other  Varieties  differing  in  composition,  as  albitic 
  granite,  hornblendic,  or  syenitic,  granite,  etc 
 
  {Geographical  variety}  (Biol.),  a  variety  of  any  species 
  which  is  coincident  with  a  geographical  region,  and  is 
  usually  dependent  upon  or  caused  by  peculiarities  of 
  climate. 
 
  {Variety  hybrid}  (Biol.),  a  cross  between  two  individuals  of 
  different  varieties  of  the  same  species;  a  mongrel. 
 
  Syn:  Diversity;  difference;  kind 
 
  Usage:  {Variety},  {Diversity}.  A  man  has  a  variety  of 
  employments  when  he  does  many  things  which  are  not  a 
  mere  repetition  of  the  same  act  he  has  a  diversity  of 
  employments  when  the  several  acts  performed  are  unlike 
  each  other  that  is  diverse.  In  most  cases,  where 
  there  is  variety  there  will  be  more  or  less  of 
  diversity,  but  not  always  One  who  sells  railroad 
  tickets  performs  a  great  variety  of  acts  in  a  day 
  while  there  is  but  little  diversity  in  his  employment. 
 
  All  sorts  are  here  that  all  the  earth  yields! 
  Variety  without  end  --Milton. 
 
  But  see  in  all  corporeal  nature's  scene,  What 
  changes,  what  diversities,  have  been! 
  --Blackmore. 




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