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kaleidoscope

[ kuh-lahy-duh-skohp ]

noun

  1. an optical instrument in which bits of glass, held loosely at the end of a rotating tube, are shown in continually changing symmetrical forms by reflection in two or more mirrors set at angles to each other.
  2. a continually changing pattern of shapes and colors.
  3. a continually shifting pattern, scene, or the like:

    The 1920s were a kaleidoscope of fads and fashions.



kaleidoscope

/ kəˌlaɪdəˈskɒpɪk; kəˈlaɪdəˌskəʊp /

noun

  1. an optical toy for producing symmetrical patterns by multiple reflections in inclined mirrors enclosed in a tube. Loose pieces of coloured glass, paper, etc, are placed between transparent plates at the far end of the tube, which is rotated to change the pattern
  2. any complex pattern of frequently changing shapes and colours
  3. a complicated set of circumstances
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Derived Forms

  • kaˌleidoˈscopically, adverb
  • kaleidoscopic, adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of kaleidoscope1

1817; < Greek kal ( ós ) beautiful + eîdo ( s ) shape + -scope
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Word History and Origins

Origin of kaleidoscope1

C19: from Greek kalos beautiful + eidos form + -scope
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Example Sentences

It is a kaleidoscope of cultures, where Jewish, Bulgarian, Moldovan and Gagauz communities have mingled peacefully for centuries.

From Time

With their capacity to respond to positive environmental changes, North America could one day see a healthy monarch population that uses a kaleidoscope of spaces tended by people to feed, rest and reproduce.

Bake colorful kaleidoscope cookies with this adaptable marbled shortbread recipeWhole-Wheat Jam Thumbprints.

Shortages of Clorox wipes, masks and other medical goods have evolved since then into a kaleidoscope of scarcity, with appliances, toys, industrial parts and semiconductors all proving hard to find.

It’s an ever-expanding condiment kaleidoscope — and thanks to increased interest in fermentation from chefs and home cooks bolstered by pandemic-era cooking, North America’s artisanal vinegar industry has only begun to bloom.

From Eater

In all, the Kefauver High Kaleidoscope sold more than a million copies.

Her aspirations were noble: Inject high art into pop music and create a Koons-esque kaleidoscope of dance tracks.

The collection was visual poetry with the colors colliding and blending as if seen through an ever-spinning kaleidoscope.

This dish is also a subtle kaleidoscope of wonderful flavors.

The bottom of the bank was a constantly varying kaleidoscope of beauty.

The south transept window, although sheer kaleidoscope, is gay and attractive.

There moved before us a kaleidoscope of gay colors, over which breathed the fragrance of soft music.

You have often turned a kaleidoscope over and over, and watched the bits of coloured glass falling into strange patterns.

Half shut your eyes and make a tube of your hands and see if this doesn't remind you of a kaleidoscope.

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