kaleidoscope

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a complex pattern of constantly changing colors and shapes
  2. noun an optical toy in a tube; it produces symmetrical patterns as bits of colored glass are reflected by mirrors

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.

In classic literature

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