harlequinn.
/ˈhɑːlɪkwɪn//ˈhɑːlɪkɪn/ 1.
a. A character in Italian comedy, subsequently in French light comedy; in English pantomime a mute character supposed to be invisible to the clown and pantaloon; he has many attributes of the clown (his rival in the affections of Columbine) with the addition of mischievous intrigue; he usually wears particoloured bespangled tights and a visor, and carries a light ‘bat’ of lath as a magic wand.In reference to quot. 1590, it may be noticed that the arlecchino is said, in Italian Dictionaries, to have originally represented the simple and facetious Bergamese man-servant. Cf. the stage Irishman.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > pantomime > [noun] > role or character
hobby-horse1557
harlequin1590
play-mare1598
Columbinea1723
clown1727
hobby1778
pantaloon1781
harlequiness1785
Pierrot?1789
pierrette1847
harlequina1867
dobby1879
principal boy1892
principal girl1893
dame1902
1590 ‘C. Curry-Knave’ Almond for Parrat Ded. Taking Bergamo in my waye homeward..It was my happe..to light in felowship with that famous Francattip' Harlicken, who..asked me many particulars of the order and maner of our playes.
1606 J. Day Ile of Guls sig. C4v Like a Harlakene in an Italian comedy.
1607 J. Day et al. Trauailes Three Eng. Brothers sig. E4 Heres an Italian Harlaken come to offer a play to your Lord-ship.
1612 T. Heywood Apol. for Actors ii. 43 To omit all the Doctors, Zawnyes, Pantaloones, Harlakeenes, in which the French, but especially the Italians, have beene excellent.
1676 J. Dryden in G. Etherege Man of Mode Epil. 96 Those Nauseous Harlequins in Farce may pass.
1718 J. Addison Remarks Italy (ed. 2) 77 Harlequin's Part is made up of Blunders and Absurdities.
1728 H. Fielding Love in Several Masques ii. i. 16 A Man of Sense acts a lover just as a Dutchman wou'd a Harlequin.
1756 S. Foote Englishman return'd from Paris i. 28 A Bundle of Contradictions; a Piece of Patch-work, a mere Harlequin's Coat.
1758 J. Smeaton in Philos. Trans. 1757 (Royal Soc.) 50 204 As if an harlequin had leaped thro' the window.
1759 S. Johnson Gen. Concl. in C. Lennox tr. P. Brumoy Greek Theatre (R.) They represented..a complete tragedy or comedy in the same manner as dumb harlequin is exhibited on our theatres.
1778 J. Q. Adams Diary 28 Apr. in Wks. (1851) III. 146 In the evening we went to the Italian comedy, where I saw a harlequin for the first time.
1818 Ld. Byron Beppo iii. 2 Harlequins and clowns, with feats gymnastical.
1858 N. Hawthorne Fr. & Ital. Jrnls. I. 81 The papal guard in their..party-colored dress..looking not a little like harlequins.
b. transferred. A buffoon in general; a fantastic fellow.
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the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [noun] > jest or pleasantry > one who jests or jokes > buffoon
sporter1531
Owlglassc1560
scogginist1593
scurr1596
hobby-horse1600
zany1606
buffoona1610
jack pudding?c1635
Owl-spieglea1637
droll1645
buffian1655
drollist1668
droller1676
merry-andrew1694
grotesque1864
harlequin1883
1883 in R. Gower My Remin. II. xxvii. 175 Carlyle..called him [Ld. Beaconsfield] ‘that melancholy harlequin’.
2. A small breed of spotted dogs. So German harlekin (Grimm).
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1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth III. 286 The mongrel kind..the Dutch mastiff, the harlequin,..and the Dane.
3. More fully harlequin duck. A northern species of duck, Histrionicus minutus, with fantastically variegated plumage.
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the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > subfamily Merginae (duck) > [noun] > histrionicus histrionicus (harlequin duck)
rock duck1704
lord and lady1766
harlequin1772
mountain duck1831
1772 J. Forster in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 62 419 Anas. A. Histrionica..Harlequin Duck.
1863 C. Kingsley Water-babies vii. 269 Swans and brant geese, harlequins and eiders.
1876 S. Smiles Life Sc. Naturalist xiii The Harlequin..and the Eider Duck, visited the loch in vast numbers.
1884 Harper's Mag. Apr. 706/2 Harlequin-ducks of the gayest plumage.
4. The Oriental or noble opal. Also attributive.
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society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > gem or precious stone > opal > [noun] > varieties of
girasol1588
oculus mundi1661
eye of the world1730
hydrophane1784
cacholong1791
pitchstone1794
pyrophane1794
semi-opal1794
fire opal1811
sun opal1818
isopyre1827
alumocalcite1832
jasper-opal1843
opal jasper1848
resin opal1850
pitch opal1861
jasp-opal1868
opal-agate1868
harlequin1873
harlequin opal1887
wax-opal1896
potch1897
pinfire1902
moss opal1904
nobby1919
the world > the earth > minerals > types of mineral > silicates > tectosilicate > [noun] > quartz > amorphous quartz or opal > others
girasol1588
oculus mundi1661
hydrophane1784
cacholong1791
pitchstone1794
pyrophane1794
semi-opal1794
wood-stone1794
fire opal1811
wood-opal1816
sun opal1818
isopyre1827
jasper-opal1843
opal jasper1848
resin opal1850
natural glass1853
pitch opal1861
vitrite1866
jasp-opal1868
opal-agate1868
pearl opal1872
harlequin1873
harlequin opal1887
wax-opal1896
potch1897
moss opal1904
nobby1919
1873 C. Robinson New S. Wales 62 Opals..Amongst the polished stones are some of the harlequin class.
Compounds
C1. attributive or as adj. Having the characteristics of a harlequin or of his dress; burlesque, ludicrous; particoloured. harlequin china, harlequin service, harlequin set, a name given to a set of cups, etc., of different colours and patterns.
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the world > matter > colour > variegation > [adjective]
fawa700
medleyc1350
freckledc1380
motleyc1380
pied1382
specked1382
vary1382
partyc1385
parted1393
peckleda1400
polymitec1425
sere-colouredc1425
vairc1425
discoloured?1440
motleyed1447
varying1488
sheld1507
fleckered1508
piet1508
mellay1515
particoloured1530
pickled1552
varied1578
mingled1580
partly coloured1582
chequered1592
medley-coloured1593
mingle-coloured1593
piebald1594
feathered1610
changeable1612
particolour1612
enamelled1613
variousa1618
pie-coloured1619
jaspered1620
gangean1623
versicolour1628
patchwork1634
damasked1648
variously-coloureda1660
variegateda1661
agated1665
varicoloured1665
damaska1674
various-coloureda1711
pieted1721
versicoloured1721
diversicoloured1756
mosaic1776
harlequin1779
spanged1788
calico1807
piety1811
varied-coloured1811
discolorate1826
heterochromous1842
jaspé1851
discolor1859
discolorous1860
jasperoid1876
damascened1879
heterochromatic1895
variotinted1903
batik1914
varihued1921
rumbled1930
damasky1931
pepper-and-salt1940
partihued1959
1779 J. Wilkes Corr. (1805) V. 223 A formal declaration of war by harlequin heralds.
1806 J. Beresford Miseries Human Life I. vi. 110 A china Shakspeare and Milton, in Harlequin jackets.
1859 A. Helps Friends in Council New Ser. I. Addr. to Rdr. 10 At this Harlequin period of the world what is written one week may seem obsolete the next.
1871 A. D. Whitney Real Folks xiii She had six lovely little harlequin cups on a side-shelf in her china-closet..rose, and brown, and gray, and vermilion, and green, and blue.
C2. General attributive.
a.
harlequin-leap n.
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1813 Examiner 1 Feb. 69/2 A harlequin-leap through a window.
harlequin-preacher n.
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1760 J. Jortin Life Erasmus II. 195 Stories of a Harlequin-Preacher, who used to surprise his audience with his monkey-tricks.
b.
harlequin-looking adj.
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1835 N. P. Willis Pencillings I. xv. 111 The harlequin-looking Swiss guard.
C3. † harlequin deer n. Obsolete ? a particoloured fallow deer.
harlequin bat n. an Indian species, Scotophilus ornatus, of pale tawny-brown, variegated with white spots.
harlequin beetle n. a South American longicorn beetle, Acrocinus longimanus, with particoloured elytra.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Coleoptera or beetles and weevils > [noun] > Polyphaga (omnivorous) > superfamily Phytophaga or Chrysomeloidea > family Cerambycidae > miscellaneous others
sawyer1789
wood-beetle1795
tickler1841
milkweed beetle1842
pine-borer1862
harlequin beetle1865
hickory girdler1869
1865 J. G. Wood Homes without Hands (1868) viii. 176 The magnificent insect which is known to entomologists as the Harlequin Beetle..belongs to the wood-burrowers.
1882 Stanford's Compend. Geogr., Central Amer. 128 The most deadly enemy of the gum-elastic tree is..the well-known ‘harlequin beetle’.
harlequin brant n. the American white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons gambeii, also called pied or speckled brant.
harlequin bug n. Australian either of two bugs with brightly-coloured markings, Dindymus versicolor or Tectocoris diophthalmus.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > subclass Pterygota > [noun] > division Exopterygota or Hemimetabola > order Hemiptera > suborder Heteroptera > family Pyrrhocoridae > member of
firebug1895
harlequin bug1945
1945 K. C. McKeown Insects of Austral. (Commonwealth Sci. & Industr. Res. Organization, Austral.) xv. 81 The commonest and best known species [of Pyrrhocoridæ] is the striking red and black insect popularly known as the Harlequin Bug (Dindymus versicolor Sch.), found throughout Australia, and attacking apples and other fruits.
1970 T. E. Woodward et al. in Insects of Austral. (Commonwealth Sci. & Industr. Res. Organization, Austral.) xxvi. 450/1 Tectocoris diophthalmus (Thunb.), the ‘harlequin bug’ of Queensland, attacks the bolls of cotton, and is common on other malvaceous plants.
harlequin cabbage-bug n. an American hemipterous insect, Murgantia histrionica, having brilliant markings.
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1872 C. V. Riley in 4th Ann. Rep. Missouri Entomol. 35 Harlequin cabbage bug.
harlequin Dane n. (also harlequin Great Dane) a Great Dane having a black and white coat.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > other types of dog > [noun] > giant breeds > Great Dane
Danish dog1774
great Dane1774
harlequin Dane1800
1800 S. Edwards Cynographia Brit. (at cited word) A beautiful variety, called the Harlequin Dane, has a finely marbled coat.
1909 Daily Chron. 28 July 7/1 A black and white or harlequin Great Dane.
1948 ‘Sigma’ in B. Vesey-Fitzgerald Bk. Dog ii. 420 When smart men drove a well-appointed turnout, a Dalmatian or harlequin Great Dane was necessary to complete the picture.
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1751 S. Whatley England's Gazetteer at Ickworth A park well stocked with the fine harlequin-deer.
harlequin duck n. see 3.
harlequin fish n. (a) Rasbora heteromorpha, a small cypriniform fish found in Thailand, Malaya, and Sumatra; (b) Othos dentex, the scarlet rock cod, a perciform fish found along the coasts of south and west Australia.
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1956 M. L. West Gallows on Sand x. 115 A school of harlequin fish flirted away from my descent, their tube-like bodies flashing blue and gold, their ugly faces smiling like a circus clown's.
1959 Times 3 Mar. 7/1 The ‘guinea pigs’ in these experiments are inch-long harlequin fish..from south-east Asia.
harlequin-flower n. a name of the South African genus Sparaxis, N.O. Iridaceæ, with great variety of colouring.
harlequin fly n. a fly of the genus Chironomus.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Diptera or flies > [noun] > suborder Nematocera > family Chironomidae > member of genus Chironomus
harlequin fly1900
1900 Miall & Hammond (title) The structure and life history of the harlequin fly (Chironomus).
1956 Nature 17 Mar. 534/1 The family Chironomidae has scarcely been studied at all in New Zealand... Known colloquially as the ‘Harlequin fly’, they are, it seems, almost ubiquitous.
harlequin garrot n. the golden-eye duck or pied wigeon, a species of Clangula.
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1863 S. Baring-Gould Iceland 162 A magnificent harlequin garrot floated unmoved within a stones throw.
harlequin glasses n. (also harlequin eyeglasses) spectacles with the frame tilted upwards at the corners (named from their resemblance to a harlequin's mask).
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the world > health and disease > healing > ophthalmology or optometry > aids to defective vision > [noun] > spectacles > other types of spectacles
half-moon glasses1607
half-moon spectacles1607
blinkers1732
temple-spectacles1762
reading glass1853
distance glasses1864
horn spectacles1893
bifocal1899
trifocal1899
horn-rims1927
harlequin spectacles1940
harlequin glasses1945
library frame1948
aviator1951
library glasses1959
library spectacles1962
multifocals1962
wire-rim1968
1945 ‘L. Lewis’ Birthday Murder (1951) i. 7 Her harlequin eyeglasses became crooked on her pointed face.
1961 P. G. Wodehouse Service with Smile ix. 148 She was regarding him austerely through her harlequin glasses.
harlequin greyhound n. a greyhound having a black and white coat.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > hound > [noun] > greyhound > kinds of or used for specific purpose
side lay1575
wolf-greyhound1825
Newmarket greyhound1856
harlequin greyhound1883
snap1896
dog1898
nap1926
1883 M. C. Hibbert-Ware His Dearest Wish I. viii. 112 His mother's pets, namely, a harlequin greyhound called Juliet and a Dane, bearing the high-sounding cognomen of Hamlet.
harlequin moth n. the magpie moth, Abraxas grossulariata.
harlequin opal n. = 4.
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society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > gem or precious stone > opal > [noun] > varieties of
girasol1588
oculus mundi1661
eye of the world1730
hydrophane1784
cacholong1791
pitchstone1794
pyrophane1794
semi-opal1794
fire opal1811
sun opal1818
isopyre1827
alumocalcite1832
jasper-opal1843
opal jasper1848
resin opal1850
pitch opal1861
jasp-opal1868
opal-agate1868
harlequin1873
harlequin opal1887
wax-opal1896
potch1897
pinfire1902
moss opal1904
nobby1919
the world > the earth > minerals > types of mineral > silicates > tectosilicate > [noun] > quartz > amorphous quartz or opal > others
girasol1588
oculus mundi1661
hydrophane1784
cacholong1791
pitchstone1794
pyrophane1794
semi-opal1794
wood-stone1794
fire opal1811
wood-opal1816
sun opal1818
isopyre1827
jasper-opal1843
opal jasper1848
resin opal1850
natural glass1853
pitch opal1861
vitrite1866
jasp-opal1868
opal-agate1868
pearl opal1872
harlequin1873
harlequin opal1887
wax-opal1896
potch1897
moss opal1904
nobby1919
1887 Colonial & Indian Exhib., London 1886: Rep. Colonial Sections 70 Some specimens are of a rare kind, known as ‘Harlequin’ opals.
harlequin pigeon n. an Australian Bronze-wing pigeon.
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1847 F. W. L. Leichhardt Jrnl. Overland Exped. Austral. vii. 227 We saw two flocks of the harlequin pigeon (Peristera histrionica).
harlequin ring n. (see quot.).
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1877 W. Jones Finger-ring Lore 414 Harlequin-rings..were so called because they were set round with variously-coloured stones.
harlequin rose n. a variety of rose with striped petals.
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1876 T. Hardy Hand of Ethelberta I. xxix. 313 They were striped, red and white, and appeared to be leaves of the Harlequin rose.
harlequin smiler n. Merogymnus eximius, a small Australian perciform fish.
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the world > animals > fish > superorder Acanthopterygii (spiny fins) > order Perciformes (perches) > [noun] > miscellaneous types of
butterfish1673
zebrafish1771
moki1777
kelp-fish1880
harlequin smiler1955
blue eye1978
1955 A. Ross Australia 55 ix. 118 Sharks..whose presence causes..coral trout and Harlequin Smilers suddenly to evaporate.
1964 T. C. Marshall Fishes of Great Barrier Reef 326 Harlequin Smiler Merogymnus eximius.
harlequin snake n. the coral-snake and other species of Elaps, so called from their variegated colouring of orange and black.
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1885 C. F. Holder Marvels Animal Life 131 The coloring of the harlequin [snake]..is exceedingly rich.
harlequin spectacles n.
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the world > health and disease > healing > ophthalmology or optometry > aids to defective vision > [noun] > spectacles > other types of spectacles
half-moon glasses1607
half-moon spectacles1607
blinkers1732
temple-spectacles1762
reading glass1853
distance glasses1864
horn spectacles1893
bifocal1899
trifocal1899
horn-rims1927
harlequin spectacles1940
harlequin glasses1945
library frame1948
aviator1951
library glasses1959
library spectacles1962
multifocals1962
wire-rim1968
1940 Optometric Weekly 19 Dec. 1262 The Harlequin spectacle frame is protected by patents.
1962 J. Braine Life at Top xii. 154 Her harlequin spectacles didn't make her expression any less severe.
Derivatives
harlequina n.
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society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > pantomime > [noun] > role or character
hobby-horse1557
harlequin1590
play-mare1598
Columbinea1723
clown1727
hobby1778
pantaloon1781
harlequiness1785
Pierrot?1789
pierrette1847
harlequina1867
dobby1879
principal boy1892
principal girl1893
dame1902
1867 Morning Star 27 Dec. The harlequinade subsequent to the transformation scene was cleverly supported by Mr. —— (harlequin), Mdlle. —— (columbine), Mr. —— (pantaloon), Miss —— (harlequina), and Mr. —— (clown).
harlequiness n. a female harlequin.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > pantomime > [noun] > role or character
hobby-horse1557
harlequin1590
play-mare1598
Columbinea1723
clown1727
hobby1778
pantaloon1781
harlequiness1785
Pierrot?1789
pierrette1847
harlequina1867
dobby1879
principal boy1892
principal girl1893
dame1902
1785 in Cornhill Mag. (1883) June 718 Humorous and characteristic masks; among the best of which we reckon..a whimsical harlequiness.
harlequiˈnesque adj.
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society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > pantomime > [adjective] > role or character
harlequinesque1882
Pierrotic1919
1882 R. L. Stevenson New Arabian Nights II. 222 His blouse was stained with oil-colours in a harlequinesque disorder.
harleˈquinic adj. having the style of a harlequin.
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society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > [adjective] > other specific style
judicial1532
heroic1590
judiciary1603
wild1645
heroi-comic1708
mock-heroic1708
heroi-comical1712
flebilea1734
prosai-comi-epic1749
lusory1779
sulphureous1791
harlequinic1804
mock-heroical1825
newspaperish1825
marmoreal1892
kailyard1895
freestyle1906
paperback1921
nouny1926
Time-ese1947
nounal1952
kitchen sink1959
effectist1961
writerly1974
dirty realist1984
1804 Miniature No. 4. 14 (title) Ode to the Rainbow, in the genuine Fantastical, Unmeaning, Harlequinic Style of Sentimental Sonneteers.
harleˈquinically adv. after the manner of a harlequinade.
ΚΠ
1824 W. Taylor in Monthly Rev. 103 47 The Tale..is..so harlequinically metamorphosing.
ˈharlequinism n. the performance of a harlequin; action characteristic of a harlequin.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > change > changeableness > [noun]
unstablenessc1340
varyingc1380
uncertaintyc1384
brotelnessc1386
were1390
instabilityc1422
bricklenessa1425
changeability?a1425
changeableness1447
vertibility1447
mutability?a1475
variableness?a1475
inconstance1509
mutationa1542
fickleness1548
variety1548
unconstancy1563
mobility1567
unstability1572
vicissitude1576
variousness1607
inconstancy1613
slipperinessa1618
alterableness1633
versatilousness1640
bottomlessness1642
lability1651
brittlety1652
versatileness1654
fluctuancy1659
fugitivenessa1661
alterability1661
permutability1662
unfixedness1668
mutablenessa1677
flittingnessa1680
frailness1687
flittiness1692
versability1721
plasticity1727
variability1771
unestablishment1776
fluctuabilitya1786
changefulness1791
unsettledness1799
versatility1802
harlequinism1808
fluidity1824
fitfulness1825
sensitiveness1825
insubstantiality1848
contingency1858
rootlessness1859
shiftingness1866
ficklety1888
variancy1888
impredicability1906
proteanism1909
1808 Edinb. Rev. Apr. 203 The philosophical harlequinism of that valiant knight.
a1852 D. Webster Wks. (1877) I. 345 In popular governments, men must not..be disgusted by occasional exhibitions of political harlequinism.
ˈharlequinize v. to convert into a harlequin; to dress or do up in fantastical colouring.
ΚΠ
1876 R. Broughton Joan III. ii. viii. 225 The small dining-room..is travestied indeed and harlequinized like the rest of the house.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online September 2021).
harlequinv.
a. transitive. To conjure away, like harlequin in a pantomime. rare.
ΚΠ
1737 M. Green Spleen (1807) 148 And Kitten, if the humour hit Has harlequin'd away the fit.
b. intransitive. To play the harlequin. rare.
ΚΠ
1828 N. Webster Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. Harlequin, to play the droll; to make sport by playing ludicrous tricks.
Thesaurus »
c. transitive. To colour, decorate with contrasting colours.
Derivatives
ˈharlequined adj.
ΚΠ
1941 ‘R. West’ Black Lamb & Grey Falcon II. 304 A slope of long grass harlequined with flowers.
1959 Housewife June 5 The two colours daringly harlequinned.
1963 Harper's Bazaar July 44 Shetland jumper—white, harlequinned in different greys.
1965 D. Francis For Kicks iv. 49 She wore a black and white harlequined ski-ing jacket.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
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v.1737