variegate vs modify

variegate and modify both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
variegate	No	No	Yes	No
modify	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, modify is a hypernym of variegate; that is, modify is a word with a broader meaning than variegate:

variegate: change the appearance of, especially by marking with different colors
modify: cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

Other hypernyms of variegate include alter, change.

variegate (verb)	modify (verb)
make something more diverse and varied	make less severe or harsh or extreme
change the appearance of, especially by marking with different colors	add a modifier to a constituent
	cause to change; make different; cause a transformation