| 释义 |
▪ I. kaleidoscope, n.|kəˈlaɪdəʊskəʊp|
[f. Gr. καλ-ός beautiful + εἶδο-ς form + -scope. Named by its inventor, Sir David Brewster, in 1817.
Calidoscope in Newman, Gramm. Assent i. v. (1870) 107.]
An optical instrument, consisting of from two to four reflecting surfaces placed in a tube, at one end of which is a small compartment containing pieces of coloured glass: on looking through the tube, numerous reflections of these are seen, producing brightly-coloured symmetrical figures, which may be constantly altered by rotation of the instrument.
1817Specif. Brewster's patent No. 4136 (heading) A new optical instrument called the Kaleidoscope. 1818Murray Let. to Byron in Smiles Mem. (1891) I. xvi. 398, I send you a very well-constructed Kaleidoscope, a newly-invented toy. 1822J. Flint Lett. Amer. 20 The Kaleidoscope of Dr. Brewster is here fabricated in a rude style, and in quantities so great, that it is given as a plaything to children. 1878Huxley Physiogr. 62 The beautifully symmetrical shapes seen in a common kaleidoscope.
b. fig. A constantly changing group of bright colours or coloured objects; anything which exhibits a succession of shifting phases.
1819Byron Juan ii. xciii, This rainbow look'd like hope—Quite a celestial kaleidoscope. 1824Macaulay Misc. Writ. I. 82 The mind of Petrarch was a kaleidoscope. 1864Pusey Lect. Daniel Pref. 29 To allow truth and falsehood to be jumbled together in one ever-shifting kaleidoscope of opinions. 1878Hutton Scott i. 8 A hundred changing turns of the historical kaleidoscope.
c. attrib.
1834Edin. Rev. LX. 69 The few kaleidoscope passages, where ambitious words and crowded figures are so richly embroidered in. 1855G. Brimley Ess., Noct. Ambr. 306 A kaleidoscope quickness and variety of intellect.
▪ II. kaˈleidoscope, v.
[f. the n.]
To present the appearance of a brightly coloured and constantly changing pattern; to cause to come together or coalesce with pleasing results. Hence kaˈleidoscoping ppl. a. and vbl. n.
1891Daily News 5 Mar. 5/3 The spectators in the gallery cheered heartily when some particularly effective kaleidoscoping of colours happened amongst the dancers on the floor below. 1894Ibid. 1 Feb. 3/1 If the ladies and gentlemen so industriously kaleidoscoping below only cared, they might do something better on these carnival nights than play at devils and clowns. 1900Literature 14 July 25/1 In ‘Isis’..Villiers kaleidoscoped from his memory and imagination what he had read in many Oriental and medieval books. 1933Discovery July 218/2 The sitting-rooms, parlour, drawing-room, morning room, study, library, ballroom and so on have all been kaleidoscoped into the living room. 1971Guardian 4 Jan. 9/2 These days of kaleidoscoping time. |