DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 O·pal n.  Min. A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity.
 Note: ☞ The precious opal presents a peculiar play of colors of delicate tints, and is highly esteemed as a gem.  One kind, with a varied play of color in a reddish ground, is called the harlequin opal.  The fire opal has colors like the red and yellow of flame.  Common opal has a milky appearance.  Menilite is a brown impure variety, occurring in concretions at Menilmontant, near Paris.  Other varieties are cacholong, girasol, hyalite, and geyserite.
 ◄ ►

 Har·le·quin n.  A buffoon, dressed in parti-colored clothes, who plays tricks, often without speaking, to divert the bystanders or an audience; a merry-andrew; originally, a droll rogue of Italian comedy.
    As dumb harlequin is exhibited in our theaters.   --Johnson.
 Harlequin bat Zool., an Indian bat (Scotophilus ornatus), curiously variegated with white spots.
 Harlequin beetle Zool., a very large South American beetle (Acrocinus longimanus) having very long legs and antennae. The elytra are curiously marked with red, black, and gray.
 Harlequin cabbage bug. Zool. See Calicoback.
 Harlequin caterpillar. Zool., the larva of an American bombycid moth (Euchaetes egle) which is covered with black, white, yellow, and orange tufts of hair.
 Harlequin duck Zool., a North American duck (Histrionicus histrionicus). The male is dark ash, curiously streaked with white.
 Harlequin moth. Zool. See Magpie Moth.
 Harlequin opal. See Opal.
 Harlequin snake Zool., See harlequin snake in the vocabulary.

 harlequin opal
      n : a reddish opal with small patches of brilliant color