Make Your Point: KALEIDOSCOPIC

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > KALEIDOSCOPIC

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pronounce KALEIDOSCOPIC:

kuh LYE duh SKOPP ick

connect this word to others:

If something is constantly shifting its colors, you might call it ch___leonic.

If something seems to shift with a rainbow of colors, you might call it iri___cent.

If something seems to shift with a rainbow of colors against a milky white base, you might call it op____cent.

And if something seems to shift with a rainbow of colors and a variety of shapes, you might call it kaleidoscopic, the sweet, playful word that we'll explore today.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

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We can thank David Brewster (1781-1868) for both inventing and naming the kaleidoscope, that toy you can look through and twist to watch the glass pieces shift and shimmer in all their rainbowy glory.

For the name, Brewster combined Greek bits meaning "beautiful" (kalos), "shape" (eidos), and "look at" (skopein).

That was in 1816. By 1819 we were calling things kaleidoscopes when they reminded us of the toys because they seemed to shift with a rainbow of colors.

And by 1853, we were using the adjective form. Kaleidoscopic things are the kind that seem to shift with a rainbow of colors and/or move constantly with intricate pieces or patterns.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "a kaleidoscopic swirl;" "The shifting of moods on the album is kaleidoscopic."

Other forms:

The noun is "kaleidoscope," as in "Instruments joined in, a kaleidoscope of harmony."

The adverb is "kaleidoscopically," as in "The moods shift kaleidoscopically."

And it's rare, but some writers have used "kaleidoscope" as a verb, as in "Happy holiday memories kaleidoscope across my mind."

how to use it:

Pick the playful, whimsical, semi-common, extra-emphatic word "kaleidoscopic" to describe something colorful that moves and shifts in a delightful way.

For example, you could talk about a kaleidoscopic view of something, the kaleidoscopic shifting or movement or pattern of something, or just a kaleidoscopic thing, like a kaleidoscopic collage, book, movie, album, or work of art.

The tone of "kaleidoscope" is usually very positive, suggesting that something's movement and color are pleasing, impressive, and delightfully random or chaotic. But it can also be negative, suggesting an unpleasant or dizzying chaos.

examples:

"It was a sleep packed with dreams of swirling colors, as if I were in the midst of a gigantic kaleidoscopic whirlpool."
— Homer Hickam, October Sky, 1999

"There's a kaleidoscopic quality to hearing the harmonies change — the joy of certain pitches coming into the texture and then leaving and being replaced by others."
— Jeremy Denk, as quoted by Thomas May, Seattle Times, 27 December 2021

has this page helped you understand "kaleidoscopic"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "kaleidoscopic" without saying "motley" or "polychromatic."

try it out:

In Katherine Paterson's novel The Great Gilly Hopkins, Gilly receives a book of poems. She lingers over one of the poems, savoring it despite not understanding what it means. The narrator explains:

"It was the sounds she loved—the sounds that turned and fell in kaleidoscopic wonder."

Can you relate? Is there a poem, a song, a piece of art, or a scene from television or film that you love, one whose sounds or images seem to turn and fall kaleidoscopically?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Name the Game!"

I'll share some tidbits about a particular board game with a one-word name, and you try to name it.

You can scroll all the way down to see the game's real name. Maybe you'll come up with the correct name, or one that’s just as apt!

Try this one today:

The game's name is 2 syllables.

It starts with V.

"Explore an entire planet's open world from first-person perspectives... You can communicate with and support other players, but you are separated by vast distances, so only you can see your current location."

review this word:

1. A near opposite of KALEIDOSCOPIC is

A. MYRIAD: many, countless.
B. MIASMIC: toxic, stinking.
C. MONOCHROME: dull, one-colored.

2. According to Stuart Heritage, Lady Dynamite was a "kaleidoscopic" show, one that was like "_____."

A. literally everything we've seen before
B. you were watching something entirely new
C. watching your brain explode inside a hall of mirrors

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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