pearl 1 (pûrl)n.1. A smooth, lustrous, variously colored deposit, chiefly calcium carbonate, formed around a grain of sand or other foreign matter in the shells of certain mollusks and valued as a gem. 2. Mother-of-pearl; nacre. 3. One that is highly regarded for its beauty or value. 4. Printing A type size measuring approximately five points. 5. A yellowish white. v. pearled, pearl·ing, pearls v.tr.1. To decorate or cover with or as if with pearls. 2. To make into the shape or color of pearls. v.intr.1. To dive or fish for pearls or pearl-bearing mollusks. 2. To form beads resembling pearls.
[Middle English perle, from Old French, from Latin *pernula, diminutive of perna, ham, seashell (from the shape of the shell).] | pearl1 freshwater (left ) and cultured pearls (right ) |
pearl Noun
1. a hard smooth greyish-white rounded object found inside the shell of a clam or oyster and much valued as a gem
3. a person or thing that is like a pearl in beauty or value
Adjective
of, made of, or set with pearl or mother-of-pearl
Verb
1. to set with or as if with pearls
2. to shape into or assume a pearl-like form or colour
3. to dive for pearls [Latin perna sea mussel]
pearl (pûrl) A smooth, slightly iridescent, white or grayish rounded growth inside the shells of some mollusks. Pearls form as a reaction to the presence of a foreign particle, and consist of thin layers of mother-of-pearl that are deposited around the particle. The pearls of oysters are often valued as gems. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | pearl - a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel |
| 2. | pearl - a shade of white the color of bleached boneswhiteness, white - the quality or state of the achromatic color of greatest lightness (bearing the least resemblance to black) |
| 3. | pearl - a shape that is spherical and small; "he studied the shapes of low-viscosity drops"; "beads of sweat on his forehead"sphere - a solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the space it encloses) teardrop - anything shaped like a falling drop (as a pendant gem on an earring) |
| Verb | 1. | pearl - gather pearls, from oysters in the ocean |
Translations