harlequin means brightly colored, especially in a pattern like that of a harlequin clown's clothes. It carries an Arena rating of 1751, earned across 30 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, harlequin ranks #289 of 42,752 for Qualifying, #527 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #546 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #610 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
harlequin is pronounced /ˈhɑːlɪkwɪn/.
Why “harlequin” is a great word
Brightly colored, especially in a variegated or diamond-checkered pattern reminiscent of the traditional costume of the Harlequin character. From Middle French *Harlequin*, from Old French *Hellequin*, *Herlequin* (a demon or malevolent spirit), probably of Germanic origin, possibly connected to Old English *Herla Cyning* ("King Herla") or Old English *helle cyn* ("the kindred of Hell"). Unlike "motley," which suggests a jumbled, incongruous assortment, or "piebald," which denotes the irregular patches of an animal's coat, harlequin implies a deliberate, vibrant, and theatrical design: the precise geometry of a jester's tights, the shattered glass of a carnival kaleidoscope, and the sharp, mocking clarity of color arranged by cunning artifice. It is pattern that knows it is being watched, a visual cacophony born from a shadow of medieval dread, now dancing in the light.
Etymology
From earlier Harlicken, from Middle French Harlequin (in Italian Arlecchino, the name of a popular servant character in commedia dell'arte plays), from Old French Harlequin, Halequin, Herlequin, Hellequin, Hierlekin, Hellekin (a demon, malevolent spirit), probably of Germanic origin, connected to the Old English figure of *Herla Cyning (“King Herla”, a mythical figure identified with Woden) or possibly to Old Frisian helle kin, Old English helle cyn, Old Norse heljar kyn (“the kindred of Hell”). Related to Middle English Hurlewain (“a mischievous sprite or goblin”).
adj
- Brightly colored, especially in a pattern like that of a harlequin clown's clothes.
- Of a greenish-chartreuse color.
name
- The best-known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo.
- A type of eyeglass frame design inspired by Venetian Harlequin masks, more commonly known as cat-eye.
noun
- A pantomime fool, typically dressed in colorful checkered clothes, used as a stock character in commedia dell'arte and other genres.
- A greenish-chartreuse color.
- A harlequin duck.
- Any of various riodinid butterflies of the genera Taxila and Praetaxila.
verb
- To remove or conjure away, as if by a harlequin's trick.e.g.“And kitten, if the humour hit / Has harlequin'd away the fit.” — 1737, Matthew Green, The Spleen:
- To make sport by playing ludicrous tricks.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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