kaleidoscope
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: The noun is derived from Ancient Greek καλός (kalós, “beautiful, lovely”) + εἶδος (eîdos, “form, image, shape”) + English -scope (suffix denoting an instrument used for examination or viewing), coined by the British scientist David Brewster (1781–1868) in his 1817 patent for the invention: see the quotation.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Inflected forms:
form: kaleidoscopes
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: caleidoscope
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: kaleidoscopes
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: kaleidoscoping
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: kaleidoscoped
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: kaleidoscoped
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: An instrument consisting of a tube containing mirrors and loose, colourful beads or other objects; when the tube is looked into and rotated, a succession of symmetrical designs can be seen.
pos: noun
examples: The Kaleidoscope (from καλος beautiful, ειδος a form, and σκοπεω to see) is an instrument for creating and exhibiting an infinite variety of beautiful forms, and is constructed in such a manner as either to please the eye, by an ever-varying succession of splendid tints and symmetrical forms, or to enable the observer to render permanent such as may appear most appropriate for any of the numerous branches of the ornamental arts.
The mind of Petrarch was like a kaleidoscope. At every turn it presents us with new forms, always fantastic, occasionally beautiful; and we can scarcely believe that all these varieties have been produced by the same worthless fragments of glass.
Detractors saw the kaleidoscope as an expression of a mass consumer culture that could be all too easily distracted by the shiniest new baubles and sensations. […] The revolution that Steve Jobs triggered in 2007 with the launch of the iPhone means that most of us now have a modern day kaleidoscope in our pockets.
gloss: A constantly changing series of colours or other things.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: [T]his rainbow look'd like hope— / Quite a celestial kaleidoscope.
Lady Etheringhame being now a constitutionalist, dined rather early: and Emily, her head like a kaleidescope, full of colours, with not a little disdain, put on the blue silk she had thought bleu céleste, at least in the country.
The rail journey from The Hook [i.e., the Hook of Holland] to Basle is a scenic kaleidoscope, ranging from the flat terrain of the Netherlands to the high ranges of the Black Forest, from the straight Dutch waterways to the sinuous Rhine gorge, from the ocean-going shipping of canals to the busy inland traffic of the Rhine and from peaceful farmland to thriving centres of commerce.
Another most notable change concerns rolling stock liveries. Back then, corporate Rail Blue was omnipresent, whereas now there is a kaleidoscope of colours and styles.
The chip smells like nothing, but tastes like a smörgåsbord that's both confusing and arousing, like Steve Buscemi. Flecks of spring green – the kind generated from radioactive waste – coat the unwieldy triangles. The seasoning is a kaleidoscope of Day-Glo dust particles that perishes under saliva and tongue.
The kaleidoscope of handmade signs and causes, from immigration and the defense of Ukraine to LGBTQ rights and press freedom, spoke to the range and scope of Mr. Trump’s executive actions since Jan. 20.
gloss: A swarm of butterflies.
pos: noun
tags: collective
gloss: To move in shifting (and often attractive or colourful) patterns.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
Derived words: kaleidoscopelike
kaleidoscopic
teleidoscope
Translations: