Harlequin

Noun

 * 1) a pantomime fool, typically dressed in checkered clothes
 * 2) * 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
 * ... were certainly the worst and dullest company into which an audience was ever introduced; and (which was a secret known to few) were actually intended so to be, in order to contrast the comic part of the entertainment, and to display the tricks of harlequin to the better advantage.

Adjective for Harlequin
harlequin


 * 1) brightly coloured, especially in a pattern like that of a harlequin clown's clothes

Adverbs for Harlequin
erratically; capriciously; changeably; mercurially; kaleidoscopically; vagrantly; way-wardly; fleetingly; nimbly; swiftly; fleetly; trippingly; stagily; dramatically; spectacularly; comically; trickily; lightly; cdown-ishly; jocosely; waggishly; fabulously; entertainingly; laughingly; mockingly.

Thesaurus
Columbine, Dalmatian, Hanswurst, Harlequin, Pantalone, Pantaloon, Polichinelle, Pulcinella, Punch, Punchinello, Scaramouch, antigorite, bicolor, bicolored, buffo, buffoon, butterfly, candy cane, chameleon, check, checker, checkerboard, checkerwork, cheetah, chessboard, chrysotile, clown, colorful, colors in patches, colory, confetti, crazy, crazy quilt, crazy-work, daedal, dichromatic, divers-colored, firedog, fool, iris, jack-pudding, jaguar, jester, kaleidoscopic, leopard, mackerel, mackerel sky, many-colored, marble, marbled paper, marquetry, medley, merry-andrew, moire, mosaic, mother-of-pearl, motley, motley fool, multicolor, multicolored, multicolorous, nacre, ocelot, opal, ophite, parquet, parquetry, parti-color, parti-colored, patchwork, patchwork quilt, peacock, pickle-herring, plaid, polychromatic, polychrome, polychromic, prismal, rainbow, serpentine, serpentine marble, shot, shot silk, shot through, spectral, spectrum, tartan, tessellation, tesserae, thunder and lightning, tortoise shell, trichromatic, trichromic, tricolor, tricolored, two-tone, varicolored, variegated, variegated pattern, versicolor, versicolored, zany, zebra

Etymology
From hellekijn:, then in  hellequin: and in  Arlecchino:, the name of a popular servant character in commedia dell'arte plays from  *undefined: ultimately from  Herleking: from  Herla Cyning:, a mythical figure identified with Woden.

Noun

 * Finnish: harlekiini


 * Russian: арлекин

Adjective

 * Finnish: riemunkirjava

Derived terms

 * harlequin duck
 * harlequinade