por·ce·lain

(pôr′sə-lĭn, pôrs′lĭn)

1. A hard, white, translucent ceramic made by firing a pure clay and then glazing it with variously colored fusible materials; china.

2. An object made of this substance.

[French porcelaine, cowry shell, porcelain, from Old French, from Old Italian porcellana, from feminine of porcellano, of a young sow (from the shell's resemblance to a pig's back), from porcella, young sow, diminutive of porca, sow, from Latin, feminine of porcus, pig; see porko- in Indo-European roots.]

por′ce·la′ne·ous (-lā′nē-əs) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

porcelain

(ˈpɔːslɪn; -leɪn; ˈpɔːsə-)

1. (Ceramics) a more or less translucent ceramic material, the principal ingredients being kaolin and petuntse (hard paste) or other clays, ground glassy substances, soapstone, bone ash, etc

2. (Ceramics) an object made of this or such objects collectively

3. (Ceramics) (modifier) of, relating to, or made from this material: a porcelain cup.

[C16: from French porcelaine, from Italian porcellana cowrie shell, porcelain (from its shell-like finish), literally: relating to a sow (from the resemblance between a cowrie shell and a sow's vulva), from porcella little sow, from porca sow, from Latin; see pork]

porcellaneous adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

por•ce•lain

(ˈpɔr sə lɪn, ˈpoʊr-; ˈpɔrs lɪn, ˈpoʊrs-)

n.

1. a strong, vitreous, translucent ceramic material, made of kaolin and feldspar, with a transparent glaze fired at a high temperature.

2. ware made from this.

[1520–30; < French porcelaine < Italian porcellana orig., a type of cowrie shell, appar. likened to the vulva of a sow, n. use of feminine of porcellano of a young sow =porcell(a), diminutive of porca sow (see pork, -elle) + -ano -an¹]

por`ce•la′ne•ous, por`cel•la′ne•ous (-ˈleɪ ni əs) adj.

porcelain

The finest pottery, white all through and translucent. See paste.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

porcelain - ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic

ceramic ware - utensils made from ceramic material

china - high quality porcelain originally made only in China

Spode - a brand of fine English porcelain

porcelain

noun china, ware, fine bone china, porcelain ware a priceless collection of English porcelain

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

خزفخَزَف صيني

porcelán

porcelæn

postulín

ポースレン焼き物磁器陶磁陶磁器

porcelāns

瓷器瓷

porcelain

[ˈpɔːslɪn]

A. N → porcelana f

B. CPD → de porcelana

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

porcelain

[ˈpɔː^rs^əlɪn]

n → porcelaine f

adj [figurine, plate] → de porcelaine, en porcelaine

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

porcelain

n → Porzellan nt

adj → Porzellan-; porcelain doll → Porzellanpuppe f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

porcelain

[ˈpɔːs/əlɪn] n → porcellana
a piece of porcelain → una porcellana

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

porcelain

(ˈpoːsəlin) noun, adjective

(of) a kind of fine china. That dish is made of porcelain; a porcelain figure.

porcelain

n porcelana

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Most of his poems, other than certain political satire, which drew on him the Emperor's wrath, are full of subtle sadness and fragrant regret, reminding one of pot-pourri in some deep blue porcelain bowl.

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In the middle stood a little frame containing relics; at the corners were two little orange-trees, and all along the edge were silver candlesticks, porcelain vases containing sun-flowers, lilies, peonies, and tufts of hydrangeas.

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It was larger than the largest of the palaces or ruins I knew, and the facade had an Oriental look: the face of it having the lustre, as well as the pale-green tint, a kind of bluish-green, of a certain type of Chinese porcelain. This difference in aspect suggested a difference in use, and I was minded to push on and explore.

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On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums.

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The Emperor's Palace was the most splendid in the world, all made of priceless porcelain, but so brittle and delicate that you had to take great care how you touched it.

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You and he were the only two, infinitely different, people, who didn't approach me as if I had been a precious object in a collection, an ivory carving or a piece of Chinese porcelain. That's why I have kept you in my memory so well.

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"Well," says I, "are not the materials of their buildings the products of their own country, and so it is all China ware, is it not?"--"No, no," says he, "I mean it is a house all made of China ware, such as you call it in England, or as it is called in our country, porcelain."--"Well," says I, "such a thing may be; how big is it?

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There was a stove in the corner--one of those tall, square, stately white porcelain things that looks like a monument and keeps you thinking of death when you ought to be enjoying your travels.

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When he breakfasted or dined all the resources of the club--its kitchens and pantries, its buttery and dairy--aided to crowd his table with their most succulent stores; he was served by the gravest waiters, in dress coats, and shoes with swan-skin soles, who proffered the viands in special porcelain, and on the finest linen; club decanters, of a lost mould, contained his sherry, his port, and his cinnamon-spiced claret; while his beverages were refreshingly cooled with ice, brought at great cost from the American lakes.

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A thick clump of trees and shrubs rose in the centre, and masked a portion of the front; around this shrubbery two alleys, like two arms, extended right and left, and formed a carriage-drive from the iron gates to a double portico, on every step of which stood a porcelain vase.

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I found myself in a salon with a very well-painted, highly varnished floor; chairs and sofas covered with white draperies, a green porcelain stove, walls hung with pictures in gilt frames, a gilt pendule and other ornaments on the mantelpiece, a large lustre pendent from the centre of the ceiling, mirrors, consoles, muslin curtains, and a handsome centre table completed the inventory of furniture.

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van der Luyden's orchids had been conspicuously disposed in various receptacles of modern porcelain and knobby silver.

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