harlequin
Meanings
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.
adj
- Brightly colored, especially in a pattern like that of a harlequin clown's clothes.
- Of a greenish-chartreuse color.
verb
- To remove or conjure away, as if by a harlequin's trick.
- To make sport by playing ludicrous tricks.
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.
Pronunciation
Word forms
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”).
Derived words
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