kaleidoscope
/kə'laidəskoup/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An optical toy in a tube: A device consisting of a tube containing mirrors and small, loose pieces of colored glass or other objects. When you look through one end and rotate the tube, the reflections create changing symmetrical patterns.
- A complex, constantly changing pattern or sequence: A frequently shifting mixture or succession of bright colors, elements, or events.
Usage Examples
Noun (Optical Toy):
- As a child, she spent hours looking into the kaleidoscope, fascinated by the endless patterns.
- The science museum had an exhibit explaining how a kaleidoscope works.
Noun (Complex, Changing Pattern):
- The festival was a kaleidoscope of music, dance, and costumes from around the world.
- From the hilltop, the city at night was a dazzling kaleidoscope of lights.
Advanced Usage
- Used figuratively to describe a dynamic and multifaceted situation:
- The novel presents a kaleidoscope of characters and perspectives from 19th-century London.
- Her memories of the trip were a joyful kaleidoscope of sights and sounds.
Variants and Related Words
- Kaleidoscopic (adjective): Having complex patterns of colors or constantly changing elements.
- The dancer's kaleidoscopic costume shimmered under the stage lights.
- We live in a kaleidoscopic media landscape.
Synonyms
- Kaleidoscope (as a changing pattern):
- Panorama: A complete and comprehensive view of a subject or scene.
- Tapestry: A complex or intricate combination of elements or events.
- Medley: A varied mixture of people or things.
Idioms and Common Phrases
- A kaleidoscope of [something]: A common phrase used to emphasize variety and constant change.
- The market was a kaleidoscope of smells, from spices to fresh flowers.
- The decade was a political kaleidoscope of rapid change and upheaval.
Noun
- an optical toy in a tube; it produces symmetrical patterns as bits of colored glass are reflected by mirrors
- a complex pattern of constantly changing colors and shapes