PEARL
bone, ivory, pearl, off-white
(noun) a shade of white the color of bleached bones
pearl
(noun) a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
drop, bead, pearl
(noun) a shape that is spherical and small; āhe studied the shapes of low-viscosity dropsā; ābeads of sweat on his foreheadā
pearl
(verb) gather pearls, from oysters in the ocean
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
pearl (countable and uncountable, plural pearls)
A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Round lustrous pearls are used in jewellery.
(figuratively) Something precious.
A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing liquid for e.g. medicinal application.
Nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
A whitish speck or film on the eye.
A fish allied to the turbot; the brill.
A light-colored tern.
One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer's antler.
(uncountable, typography, printing, dated) The size of type between diamond and agate, standardized as 5-point.
A fringe or border.
(obsolete) A jewel or gem.
(euphemistic, vulgar, slang) The clitoris.
Verb
pearl (third-person singular simple present pearls, present participle pearling, simple past and past participle pearled)
(transitive, sometimes, figurative) To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl.
(transitive) To cause to resemble pearls in shape; to make into small round grains.
(transitive) To cause to resemble pearls in lustre or iridescence.
(intransitive) To resemble pearl or pearls.
(intransitive) To hunt for pearls
(intransitive, surfing) to dig the nose of one's surfboard into the water, often on takeoff.
Anagrams
• APLer, Alper, lepra, paler, parle, repla
Etymology
Proper noun
Pearl
A female given name from English
(geography) Various Pearl Rivers, particularly the major river of Guangdong in China.
Anagrams
• APLer, Alper, lepra, paler, parle, repla
Source: Wiktionary
Pearl, n.
Definition: A fringe or border. [Obs.] -- v. t.
Definition: To fringe; to border. [Obs.] See Purl. Pearl stitch. See Purl
stitch, under Purl.
Pearl, n. Etym: [OE. perle, F. perle, LL. perla, perula, probably fr.
(assumed) L. pirulo, dim. of L. pirum a pear. See Pear, and cf. Purl
to mantle.]
1. (Zoƶl.)
Definition: A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant
luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the
mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the
pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves.
It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some
irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or
mother-of-pearl. Pearls which are round, or nearly round, and of fine
luster, are highly esteemed as jewels, and compare in value with the
precious stones.
2. Hence, figuratively, something resembling a pearl; something very
precious.
I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's pearl. Shak.
And those pearls of dew she wears. Milton.
3. Nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
4. (Zoƶl.)
Definition: A fish allied to the turbot; the brill.
5. (Zoƶl.)
Definition: A light-colored tern.
6. (Zoƶl.)
Definition: One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer's
antler.
7. A whitish speck or film on the eye. [Obs.] Milton.
8. A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing some liquid
for medicinal application, as ether.
9. (Print.)
Definition: A size of type, between agate and diamond. * This line is
printed in the type called pearl. Ground pearl. (Zoƶl.) See under
Ground.
– Pearl barley, kernels of barley, ground so as to form small,
round grains.
– Pearl diver, one who dives for pearl oysters.
– Pearl edge, an edge of small loops on the side of some kinds of
ribbon; also, a narrow kind of thread edging to be sewed on lace.
– Pearl eye, cataract. [R.] -- Pearl gray, a very pale and delicate
blue-gray color.
– Pearl millet, Egyptian millet (Penicillaria spicata).
– Pearl moss. See Carrageen.
– Pearl moth (Zoƶl.), any moth of the genus Margaritia; -- so
called on account of its pearly color.
– Pearl oyster (Zoƶl.), any one of several species of large
tropical marine bivalve mollusks of the genus Meleagrina, or
Margaritifera, found in the East Indies (especially at Ceylon), in
the Persian Gulf, on the coast of Australia, and on the Pacific coast
of America. Called also pearl shell, and pearl mussel.
– Pearl powder. See Pearl white, below.
– Pearl sago, sago in the form of small pearly grains.
– Pearl sinter (Min.), fiorite.
– Pearl spar (Min.), a crystallized variety of dolomite, having a
pearly luster.
– Pearl white. (a) Basic bismuth nitrate, or bismuth subchloride; -
- used chiefly as a cosmetic. (b) A variety of white lead blued with
indigo or Berlin blue.
Pearl, a.
Definition: Of or pertaining to pearl or pearls; made of pearls, or of
mother-of-pearl.
Pearl, v. t.
1. To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. Used also
figuratively.
2. To cause to resemble pearls; to make into small round grains; as,
to pearl barley.
Pearl, v. i.
1. To resemble pearl or pearls.
2. To give or hunt for pearls; as, to go pearling.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition