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, without the Mary–marry–merry merger):

    (file)

  • Audio (US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger):

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  • Audio (US, Mary–marry–merry merger):

    (file)

• 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.

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

   • 1695, C[harles] A[lphonse] du Fresnoy, translated by John Dryden, De Arte Graphica. The Art of Painting, […], London: […] J[ohn] Heptinstall for W. Rogers, […], →OCLC:

     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.

   • 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.

   His mood varies by the hour.

   The sine function varies between −1 and 1.

   • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iii, page 1:

     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.

   • 1960 February, “The modernisation of Peterborough”, in Trains Illustrated, page 108:

     In the new layout, it is proposed to provide three island platforms with six platform faces varying from 1,075 to 1,290 ft. in length and including bays.

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.
   • 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:

     God hath […] varied their inclinations.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     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.
   • 1623, John Webster, The Devil's Law Case:

     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

• ever-varying
• time-varying
• varisome
• varisyllabic
• varying hare
• your mileage may vary

 

Translations

to change something with time or a similar parameter

• Arabic:

  Egyptian Arabic: نوع (nawwaʕ)

• Bulgarian: изменям се (izmenjam se), променям се (promenjam se)
• Dutch: variëren (nl)
• Finnish: vaihdella (fi)
• French: varier (fr)
• Georgian: გამოცვლა (gamocvla), შეცვლა (šecvla)
• German: variieren (de)
• Hungarian: változtat (hu), váltogat (hu), variál (hu)
• Italian: variare (it)
• Latin: variō
• Maori: whakarerekē
• Piedmontese: varì
• Polish: zmieniać (pl), zmienić (pl)
• Portuguese: variar (pt)
• Spanish: variar (es)
• Swedish: variera (sv)
• Welsh: ymrafael

to institute a change in — see modify

not to remain constant

• Arabic:

  Egyptian Arabic: غير (ḡayyar)

• Bulgarian: варирам (bg) (variram)
• Catalan: variar (ca)
• Dutch: variëren (nl)
• Finnish: vaihdella (fi)
• French: varier (fr)
• Georgian: ვარირება (varireba), ცვლილება (cvlileba)
• German: verändern (de)
• Latin: variō
• Polish: zmieniać się (pl), zmienić się (pl)
• Portuguese: variar (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: caochail
• Spanish: variar (es)
• Swedish: variera (sv)

to display difference

• Bulgarian: различавам се (različavam se)
• Dutch: variëren (nl)
• Finnish: vaihdella (fi)
• Polish: różnić się (pl)
• Portuguese: variar (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: caochail
• Spanish: variar (es)
• Swedish: variera (sv)

to act different from usual

• Finnish: vaihdella (fi)
• Maori: tītaha
• Portuguese: variar (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: caochail
• Spanish: variar (es)

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)
• 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.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

     With euery gall, and varry of their Masters,

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

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)