variety

Universal Words noun (plural varieties) 1 [sing.] ~ (of sth) several different sorts of the same thing: There is a wide variety of patterns to choose from. * He resigned for a variety of reasons. * This tool can be used in a variety of ways. * I was impressed by the variety of dishes on offer. 2 [U] the quality of not being the same or not doing the same thing all the time: We all need variety in our diet. * We want more variety in our work. 3 [C] ~ (of sth) a type of a thing, for example a plant or language, that is different from the others in the same general group: Apples come in a great many varieties. * a rare variety of orchid * different varieties of English * (spoken) My cooking is of the 'quick and simple' variety. 4 (AmE also vaudeville) [U] a form of theatre or television entertainment that consists of a series of short performances, such as singing, dancing and funny acts: a variety show / theatre IDIOMS variety is the spice of life (saying) new and exciting experiences make life more interesting