kaleidoscope

/kəˈlaɪdəskəʊp/ (bre, ipa) · /kəˈlaɪdəskəʊp/ (ame, ipa) · /kə-ˈlī-də-ˌskōp/ (ame, mw)

kaleidoscope — noun

  • kaleidoscopesingular
  • kaleidoscopesplural

1. a tube-shaped toy with mirrors and small coloured pieces inside that create new

1.名詞C1
釋義

a tube-shaped toy with mirrors and small coloured pieces inside that create new bright designs when you turn it and look through it

例句

Gabriel turned the kaleidoscope slowly and watched new stars appear.

turn + kaleidoscope to create changing reflected patterns

At the museum shop, Tara bought a wooden kaleidoscope for her niece.

countable noun after article: a kaleidoscope

同義詞
  • optical toy

    a broader term for visual toys; it does not specifically suggest mirrors and shifting patterns

文法句型

a kaleidoscope

turn a kaleidoscope

look through a kaleidoscope

用法筆記

Usually appears with verbs such as look through, turn, hold, or pass around. The noun refers to the object itself, while the changing image is described separately.

常見錯誤

❌We used a kaleidoscope to see the moon.
✅We used a telescope to see the moon.
💡A kaleidoscope makes reflected patterns; it is not used for viewing distant objects.

2. a rich mix of colours, events, feelings, or other parts that keeps changing and

2.名詞C2
釋義

a rich mix of colours, events, feelings, or other parts that keeps changing and creates a vivid overall effect

例句

The night market offered a kaleidoscope of smells, songs, and flashing signs.

a kaleidoscope of + plural nouns for a vivid changing mix

From the hill, the city became a kaleidoscope of roofs and lights.

同義詞
  • mixture

    a neutral word that does not itself suggest movement or bright variety

  • mosaic

    emphasises many separate parts arranged together, often more fixed than changing

  • medley

    often used for tunes or assorted items rather than a strongly visual scene

反義詞
  • uniformity

    stresses sameness rather than variety or continual change

文法句型

a kaleidoscope of colours

a kaleidoscope of sounds

a kaleidoscope of feelings

用法筆記

Often used in the pattern 'a kaleidoscope of + plural noun' when many changing sights, feelings, or activities are experienced together. It usually suggests energy and variety rather than disorder.

常見錯誤

❌The room had a kaleidoscope of one white wall.
✅The room had one plain white wall.
💡Use 'kaleidoscope' only for a varied, shifting mix, not for one simple feature.