harlequin
/ˈhɑɹlɪkwɪn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.86 in modern English
21
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A pantomime fool, typically dressed in colorful checkered clothes, used as a stock character in commedia dell'arte and other genres.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Any of various riodinid butterflies of the genera Taxila and Praetaxila.
Countable; Uncountable
adj
Brightly colored, especially in a pattern like that of a harlequin clown's clothes.
adj
Of a greenish-chartreuse color.
Example Sentences
- "[…] were certainly the worst and dullest company into which an audience was ever introduced; and (which was a secret known to few) were actually intended so to be, in order to contrast the comic part of the entertainment, and to display the tricks of harlequin to the better advantage."
- "Motives are like harlequins—there is always a second dress beneath their first."
- "And kitten, if the humour hit / Has harlequin'd away the fit."
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: Harlequin
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɑɹlɪkwɪn/
- British English: /ˈhɑːlɪkwɪn/