- [countable]
a toy consisting of a tube that you look through with loose pieces of coloured glass and mirrors at the end. When the tube is turned, the pieces of glass move and form different patterns 万花筒 - [singular]
a situation, pattern, etc. containing a lot of different parts that are always changing （形势、图案等的）千变万化，瞬息万变
Word Originearly 19th cent.: from Greek kalos ‘beautiful’ + eidos ‘form’ + -scope (see scope).