harlequin: Meaning and Definition of

har•le•quin

Pronunciation: (här'lu-kwin, -kin), [key]
— n.
  1. (often cap.) a comic character in commedia dell'arte and the harlequinade, usually masked, dressed in multicolored, diamond-patterned tights, and carrying a wooden sword or magic wand.
  2. a buffoon.
  3. any of various small snakes having bright diamond-pattern scales.
—adj.
  1. fancifully varied in color, decoration, etc.: harlequin pants.
  2. resembling a harlequin's mask: harlequin glasses.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: