harlequin vs clown

harlequin and clown both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
harlequin	Yes	No	Yes	No
clown	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, clown is a hypernym of harlequin; that is, clown is a word with a broader meaning than harlequin:

harlequin: a clown or buffoon (after the Harlequin character in the commedia dell'arte)
clown: a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior

Other hypernyms of harlequin include buffoon, goof, goofball, merry andrew.

harlequin (noun)	clown (noun)
a clown or buffoon (after the Harlequin character in the commedia dell'arte)	a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior
	a rude or vulgar fool

harlequin (verb)	clown (verb)
variegate with spots or marks	act as or like a clown