vary

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/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  (Mary–marry–merry merger)
• Rhymes: -ɛəɹi
• Homophone: very (accents with the Mary-marry-merry merger)

Verb

vary (third-person singular simple present var, present participle ies, simple past and past participle varied)

1. (transitive) To change with time or a similar parameter.

   He varies his magic tricks so as to minimize the possibility that any given audience member will see the same trick twice.

   • (Can we date this quote by Dryden and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     We are to vary the customs according to the time and country where the scene of action lies.

2. (transitive) To institute a change in, from a current state; to modify.

   You should vary your diet. Eating just bread will do you harm in the end.

   • (Can we date this quote by Waller and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     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.

   His mood varies by the hour.

   The sine function varies between −1 and 1.

   • (Can we date this quote by Addison and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     While fear and anger, with alternate grace, / Pant in her breast, and vary in her face.

4. (of the members of a group, intransitive) To display differences.

   The sprouting tendency of potatoes varies between cultivars, years and places of growing.

5. (intransitive) To be or act different from the usual.

   I'm not comfortable with 3.Nc3 in the Caro-Kann, so I decided to vary and play exd5.

6. (transitive) To make of different kinds; to make different from one another; to diversity; to variegate.
   • (Can we date this quote by Sir Thomas Browne and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     God hath varied their inclinations.

   • (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     God hath here / Varied his bounty so with new delights.

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.
   • (Can we date this quote by Webster and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     the rich jewel which we vary for

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

• varisome

Translations

to change something with time or a similar parameter

• Dutch: variëren (nl)
• Finnish: vaihdella (fi)
• Georgian: გამოცვლა (gamocvla), შეცვლა (šecvla)
• German: variieren (de)
• Maori: whakarerekē
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: zmieniać (pl), zmienić (pl)
• Portuguese: variar (pt)
• Swedish: variera (sv)

to institute a change in — see modify

not to remain constant

• Dutch: variëren (nl)
• Finnish: vaihdella (fi)
• Georgian: ვარირება (varireba), ცვლილება (cvlileba)
• German: verändern (de)
• Polish: zmieniać się (pl), zmienić się (pl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: variar (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: caochail
• Swedish: variera (sv)

to display difference

• Dutch: variëren (nl)
• Finnish: vaihdella (fi)
• Polish: różnić się (pl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: variar (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: caochail
• Swedish: variera (sv)

to act different from usual

• Finnish: vaihdella (fi)
• Maori: tītaha
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: variar (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: caochail

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Czech: ^{(please verify)} různit se
• Danish: ^{(please verify)} varierer
• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} varii
• French: ^{(please verify)} varier (fr)
• Galician: ^{(please verify)} variar (gl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: ^{(please verify)} sich ändern, ^{(please verify)} variieren (de)
• Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 多變／多变 (zh) (duōbiàn)
• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} Variere
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} variar (es)
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} variera (sv)

Noun

vary (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) alteration; change.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)

Related terms

• variability
• variable
• variance
• variant
• variation
• varied
• variety
• various

 

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

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Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈvarɪ]

Noun

vary

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

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Malagasy

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bəʀas, from Proto-Austronesian *bəʀas.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /varʲ/

Noun

vary

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