
Noah Webster
Harl
H'ARL
H'ARLEQUIN, noun A buffoon, dressed in party-colored clothes, who plays tricks, like a merry-andrew, to divert the populace. This character was first introduced into Italian comedy, but is now a standing character in English pantomime entertainments.
H'ARLEQUIN, verb intransitive To play the droll; to make sport by playing ludicrous tricks.