Etymology From Middle English medle, from Anglo-Norman medlee, Old French medlee, from the feminine past participle of early Medieval Latin misculō (“to mix”). Compare meddle. Doublet of melee.
Thenne came the kyng of Irland and the kynge of the stryete marches to rescowe syre Tristram and sire Palomydes / There beganne a grete medle / & many knyghtes were smyten doune on bothe partyes / and alweyes sir launcelot spared sir Tristram / and he spared hym1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “lxxj”, in Le Morte Darthur, book X:
For greater shields they have, than that they can either doe or see ought, and being raunged by hundreds no doubt they will hinder one another in the medley, except some very few1632, Xenophon, translated by Philemon Holland, Cyrupaedia:
2
A collection or mixture of miscellaneous things.
a fruit medley
this medley of philosophy and war1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 31:
1 more example
Love is a medley of endearments, jars, / Suspicions, reconcilements, wars.1692, William Walsh, Letters and Poems, Amorous and Gallant:
3
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A collection of related songs played or mixed together as a single piece.
They played a medley of favorite folk songs as an encore.
4
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, Swimming A competitive swimming event that combines the four strokes of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.
5
A cloth of mixed colours.
Otherwise , as our Saviour noteth , when the old Cloth was joyned to the new , it made no good medley , but the Rent was made the wors1631, Thomas Fuller, Comment on Ruth , Chapter 1, verses 9, 10, 11:
Etymology From Middle English medle, from Anglo-Norman medlee, Old French medlee, from the feminine past participle of early Medieval Latin misculō (“to mix”). Compare meddle. Doublet of melee.