vary

English Online Dictionary. What means vary‎? What does vary mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English varien, from Old French varier, from Latin variō (“to change, alter, make different”), from varius (“different, various”); see various.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvɛəɹi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvɛəɹi/, /ˈvæɹi/, /ˈvɛɹi/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈveːɹi/
• (New Zealand, without the cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˈveəɹi/
• (New Zealand, cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˈviəɹi/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈveɹɪ/, /ˈveɹe/
• (Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /ˈvɜːɹɪ/
• Rhymes: -ɛəɹi
• Rhymes: -æɹi
• Homophone: very (only in accents with the Mary-marry-merry merger)

Verb

vary (third-person singular simple present varies, present participle varying, simple past and past participle varied)

1. (transitive) To change with time or a similar parameter.
2. (transitive) To institute a change in, from a current state; to modify.
   • a. 1687, Edmund Waller, to Phyllis

     Gods, that never change their state, / Vary oft their love and hate.

3. (intransitive) Not to remain constant: to change with time or a similar parameter.
4. (of the members of a group, intransitive) To display differences.
5. (intransitive) To be or act different from the usual.

6. (transitive) To make of different kinds; to make different from one another; to diversify; to variegate.
7. (transitive, music) To embellish; to change fancifully; to present under new aspects, as of form, key, measure, etc. See variation.
8. (intransitive, obsolete) To disagree; to be at variance or in dissension.

Synonyms

• (institute a change in): alter, change; See also Thesaurus:alter
• (not to remain constant): fluctuate
• (display differences): See also Thesaurus:differ
• (make of different kinds): See also Thesaurus:diversify
• (disagree): dissent, take exception

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

vary (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) alteration; change.

Related terms

Further reading

• “vary”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “vary”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• arvy

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈvarɪ]

Noun

vary

1. nominative/accusative/vocative/instrumental plural of var

Malagasy

Etymology

• From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bəʀas, from Proto-Austronesian *bəʀas.
• From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pajay (“rice plant”), from Proto-Austronesian *pajay (“rice plant”). Doublet of fary (“sugar cane”). Compare Ma'anyan parei, Javanese ꦥꦫꦶ (pari), Malay padi and Tagalog palay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /varʲ/

Noun

vary

1. rice ((raw) seeds used as food)