kaleidoscope

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a tube containing mirrors and loose colored pieces that form changing symmetrical patterns when rotated

   She turned the kaleidoscope and watched a new star-shaped pattern appear.

2. 2
   noun

   a complex and continually changing mixture, pattern, or sequence

   The market was a kaleidoscope of voices, colors, and unfamiliar scents.

Simplified etymology

Kaleidoscope was coined in the early 19th century by its inventor, Sir David Brewster. He formed it from Greek kalos, “beautiful,” eidos, “form,” and skopein, “to look at.”

Coined in 1817 by Scottish physicist David Brewster from Greek kalos ('beautiful') + eidos ('form, image') + English -scope ('instrument for viewing'). Its constantly rearranging reflections soon produced the figurative sense of a rapidly changing mixture.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary