What does varletry mean?
Varletry is a rare, old-fashioned noun denoting a collection or mixture of varied things. It suggests a miscellany: an assortment of objects, ideas, or experiences that differ in character but have been brought together in one group. The word can sound grand or slightly whimsical today, so it is more likely to occur in literary, historical, or deliberately antiquarian writing than in ordinary contemporary speech. In a sentence, it emphasizes not just the presence of different things but the act of gathering them into a varied collection. Its meaning is close to that of assortment, medley, and miscellany, although varletry carries a distinctly archaic flavour. The word may also be encountered in specialized or historical senses involving a collection of retainers or followers, but those senses require context and should be treated with care.
nounAn archaic collection or mixture of varied things; a miscellany.
- An archaic collection or mixture of varied things; a miscellany.
"The exhibition was a varletry of curiosities gathered from across the county."
"The cabinet held a varletry of objects from several centuries."
"Her account contains a varletry of observations, anecdotes, and digressions."
The plural is a regular plural formed by adding -ies; it is rarely encountered in modern writing.
"The archives preserve several varleteries of papers and correspondence."
A wonderfully old-fashioned word for a wonderfully mixed collection: a varletry is a miscellany, not merely a single variety.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of varletry
The word is associated with the older English word varlet and with the Anglo-Norman French varlet, meaning a young man, attendant, or follower. The suffix -ery appears in several English words formed by adding a collective or occupational sense to a base. The exact development of the specific sense 'a collection or mixture' is historically uncertain, so a more precise derivation should not be assumed.
How varletry is actually used
Varletry is rare and literary or archaic in modern English. It should not be confused with variety; its established sense is that of a collection or assemblage of different things.
Easily confused with varletry
Varletry is an archaic term for a collection or mixture of different things, whereas variety more commonly means diversity or a range of forms.