kaleidoscope
English
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kaleidoscope
- /kəˈlaɪ.dəˌskəʊp/ UK
- /kəˈlaɪ.dəˌskoʊp/ US
Where it comes from
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.
noun kaleidoscopes · caleidoscope
- 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. 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
- A constantly changing series of colours or other things. [T]his rainbow look'd like hope— / Quite a celestial kaleidoscope.
- A swarm of butterflies. Jackasses shrieked in the forest, cockatoos busied themselves with their nests and a kaleidoscope of butterflies flitted among the fragrant shrubs and trees.
verb kaleidoscopes · kaleidoscoping · kaleidoscoped
- To move in shifting (and often attractive or colourful) patterns.
Translations
Every language
noun 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 symmet
| Español | caleidoscopio, calidoscopio |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 만화경 manhwagyeong |
| 日本語 | 万華鏡 mangekyō |
| 中文 | 萬花筒 /万花筒 wànhuātǒng |
| हिन्दी | बहुरूपदर्शक bahurūpdarśak, कैलाइडोस्कोप kailāiḍoskop, बहुमूर्तिदर्शी bahumūrtidarśī |
| Português | caleidoscópio |
| Français | kaléidoscope, caléidoscope |
| Deutsch | Kaleidoskop |
| Italiano | caleidoscopio |
| Ελληνικά | καλειδοσκόπιο kaleidoskópio |
| Русский | калейдоско́п kalejdoskóp |
| Tiếng Việt | kính vạn hoa |
| العربية | مِشْكَال miškāl, مِنْظَارُ التَّهَاوِيل minẓāru t-tahāwīl |
| עברית | קָלֵידוֹסְקוֹפּ kaleydoskóp |
noun constantly changing series of colours or other things
| Español | caleidoscopio, calidoscopio |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Kaleidoskop |
Talk about this word "kaleidoscope." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/kaleidoscope. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. kaleidoscope. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/kaleidoscope "kaleidoscope." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/kaleidoscope.Cite this
@misc{kaleidoscope_2026,
title = {kaleidoscope},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/kaleidoscope},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
