kaleidoscope
UK /kəˈlaɪ.dəˌskəʊp/ · US /kəˈlaɪ.dəˌskoʊp/ noun, verb
Forms kaleidoscopes kaleidoscoping kaleidoscoped caleidoscope
- noun 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.
- noun (figuratively) A constantly changing series of colours or other things.
- noun (collective) A swarm of butterflies.
- verb (intransitive) To move in shifting (and often attractive or colourful) patterns.
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An instrument invented by Sir David Brewster, which contains loose fragments of colored glass, etc., and reflecting surfaces so arranged that changes of position exhibit its contents in an endless variety of beautiful colors and symmetrical forms. It has been much employed in arts of design.
Etymology [Gr. -scope.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “kaleidoscope”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details