Harlequin

UK: 'harlequin', 'Harlequin': /ˈhɑːlɪkwɪn/

US: (här′lə kwin, -kin)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

har•le•quin  (här′lə kwin, -kin), n. 

1. Show Business, Literature (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. Reptiles any of various small snakes having bright diamond-pattern scales.

adj. 

4. fancifully varied in color, decoration, etc.:
   harlequin pants.
5. resembling a harlequin's mask:
   harlequin glasses.

• Middle English *Herla king, Old English *Her(e)la cyning King Herle, presumably a legendary figure, rendered in Anglo-Latin as Herla rex; compare Old High German Herilo a personal name, derivative of heri armed forces
• Middle French, phonetically continuing Old French *harlequin, halequin a malevolent spirit (Compare mesniee Hellequin a troop of demonic horsemen, literally, Hellequin's escort), probably
• Italian arlecchino
• French, Middle French (h)arlequin, semantically (and in part phonetically)
• 1580–90

har′le•quin•ism, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

harlequin / ˈhɑːlɪkwɪn/ noun

1. (sometimes capital) a stock comic character originating in the commedia dell'arte; the foppish lover of Columbine in the English harlequinade. He is usually represented in diamond-patterned multicoloured tights, wearing a black mask
2. a clown or buffoon

adjective

1. varied in colour or decoration
2. (of certain animals) having a white coat with irregular patches of black or other dark colour

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French Herlequin, Hellequin leader of band of demon horsemen, perhaps from Middle English Herle king (unattested) King Herle, mythical being identified with Woden