variety

noun (plural varieties)

• 1 [mass noun] the quality or state of being different or diverse; the absence of uniformity or monotony:it’s the variety that makes my job so enjoyable
• (a variety of) a number or range of things of the same general class that are distinct in character or quality:the centre offers a variety of leisure activities
• [count noun] a thing which differs in some way from others of the same general class or sort; a type:fifty varieties of fresh and frozen pasta
• a form of television or theatre entertainment consisting of a series of different types of act, such as singing, dancing, and comedy: [as modifier]:a variety show

• 2 Biology a taxonomic category that ranks below subspecies (where present) or species, its members differing from others of the same subspecies or species in minor but permanent or heritable characteristics. Varieties are more often recognized in botany, in which they are designated in the style Apium graveolens (var. dulce).
• a cultivated form of a plant. See cultivar.