# kaleidoscope

> English word · Noun · IPA /kəˈlaɪ.dəˌskəʊp/ · frequency rank #35,373

## Definitions
1. An instrument consisting of a tube containing mirrors and loose, colourful beads or other objects; when the tube is looked into and rotated, a succession of symmetrical designs can be seen.
2. A constantly changing series of colours or other things.
3. A swarm of butterflies.

## Etymology
The noun is derived from Ancient Greek καλός (kalós, “beautiful, lovely”) + εἶδος (eîdos, “form, image, shape”) + English -scope (suffix denoting an instrument used for examination or viewing), coined by the British scientist David Brewster (1781–1868) in his 1817 patent for the invention: see the quotation.
The verb is derived from the noun.

## Common misspellings (17)
`akleidoscope`, `kaelidoscope`, `kaledioscope`, `kaleiddoscope`, `kaleidocsope`, `kaleidosccope`, `kaleidoscoep`, `kaleidoscoppe`, `kaleidoscpoe`, `kaleidosocpe`, `kaleidosscope`, `kaleidsocope`, `kaleiodscope`, `kaliedoscope`, `kalleidoscope`, `kkaleidoscope`, `klaeidoscope`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/kaleidoscope