Motley vs. Melange — What's the Difference?

Motley is the traditional costume of the court jester, fool, or the harlequin character in commedia dell'arte. The harlequin wears a patchwork of red, green and blue diamonds that is still a fashion motif.

A mixture

Having elements of great variety or incongruity; heterogeneous

(Geology) A metamorphic rock formation created from sediments and rocks scraped off the top of a downward-moving tectonic plate in a subduction zone.

Having many colors; variegated; parti-colored

A mixture of different things; a disordered mixture.

The parti-colored attire of a court jester.

A Viennese coffee speciality, half steamed milk and half coffee.

A heterogeneous, often incongruous mixture of elements.

(geology) A large-scale breccia formed in the accretionary wedge over a subductional environment.

Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity.

A mixture; a medley.

Having many colours; variegated.

A motley assortment of things

An incongruous mixture.

A jester's multicoloured clothes.

(by extension) A jester; a fool.

Variegated in color; consisting of different colors; dappled; party-colored; as, a motley coat.

Composed of different or various parts; heterogeneously made or mixed up; discordantly composite; as, motley style.

A combination of distinct colors; esp., the party-colored cloth, or clothing, worn by the professional fool.

Hence, a jester, a fool.

A collection containing a variety of sorts of things;

A garment made of motley (especially a court jester's costume)

A multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England

Make something more diverse and varied;

Make motley; color with different colors

Consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds (even to the point of incongruity);

Having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly;