Motley fool

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A court jester; a jester.

    "A fool, a fool! I met a fool i’ th’ forest, / A motley fool. A miserable world!"

  2. 2
    a professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the Middle Ages wordnet

Example

More examples

"A fool, a fool! I met a fool i’ th’ forest, / A motley fool. A miserable world!"

Etymology

From motley (“multi-colored cloth; a jester's clothes”) + fool (“a jester”).