pearl
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Related to pearled: pearled barley
pearl
a gem; yellowish white color
Not to be confused with:
purl – to knit with a purl stitch; to edge with lace or embroidery
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
pearl 1
(pûrl)n.
1.
a. A smooth, lustrous, variously colored mass, chiefly of calcium carbonate, formed around a grain of sand or other foreign matter inside the shell of certain bivalve mollusks and valued as a gem.
b. A bead resembling one of these masses.
2. Something small and spherical in shape: "pearls of sweat beading on her upper lip" (Katherine Min).
3. Mother-of-pearl; nacre.
4. One that is highly regarded for its beauty or value.
5. Printing A type size measuring approximately five points.
6. A yellowish white.
v. pearled, pearl·ing, pearls
v.tr.
1. To decorate or cover with pearls or beads resembling 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).]
pearl 2
(pûrl)v. & n.
Variant of purl2.
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.
pearl
(pɜːl)n
1. (Jewellery) a hard smooth lustrous typically rounded structure occurring on the inner surface of the shell of a clam or oyster: consists of calcium carbonate secreted in layers around an invading particle such as a sand grain; much valued as a gem.
2. (Jewellery) any artificial gem resembling this
3. (Elements & Compounds) See mother-of-pearl
4. (Zoology) See mother-of-pearl
5. a person or thing that is like a pearl, esp in beauty or value
6. (Colours) a pale greyish-white colour, often with a bluish tinge
7. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) a size of printer's type, approximately equal to 5 point
adj
8. (Jewellery) of, made of, or set with pearl or mother-of-pearl
9. having the shape or colour of a pearl
vb
10. (Jewellery) (tr) to set with or as if with pearls
11. to shape into or assume a pearl-like form or colour
12. (intr) to dive or search for pearls
[C14: from Old French, from Vulgar Latin pernula (unattested), from Latin perna sea mussel]
pearl
(pɜːl)Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pearl
(pɜrl)n.
1. a smooth, rounded bead, composed chiefly of aragonite, formed around an irritating foreign body within the shells of oysters and other mollusks: valued as a gem when lustrous and finely colored.
2. something resembling this, as various synthetic substances used in costume jewelry.
3. something similar in form or luster.
4. something precious or choice: pearls of wisdom.
5. a very pale gray, often with a bluish tinge.
7. a 5-point type.
v.t. 8. to adorn with or as if with pearls.
9. to make like a pearl, as in form or color.
v.i. 10. to dive or search for pearls.
11. to assume a pearllike form or appearance.
adj. 12. of or resembling a pearl.
13. set or adorned with or consisting of pearls or mother-of-pearl.
14. having or reduced to small, round grains.
[1300–50; Middle English perle < Middle French < Italian or Vulgar Latin *perla (> German Perle, Old English pærl), for Latin *pernula, diminutive of perna sea mussel]
pearl′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
pearl
(pûrl) A smooth, slightly iridescent, white or grayish rounded growth inside the shells of some mollusks. A pearl, which forms as a reaction to the presence of a foreign particle, consists of thin layers of mother-of-pearl that are deposited around the particle. The pearls of oysters are often valued as gems.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
pearl
Past participle: pearled
Gerund: pearling
| Imperative |
|---|
| pearl |
| pearl |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  pearl - a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewelseed pearl - a small imperfect pearl |
| 2. |  pearl - a shade of white the color of bleached bones | |
| 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) dewdrop - a drop of dew teardrop - anything shaped like a falling drop (as a pendant gem on an earring) | |
| Verb | 1. | pearl - gather pearls, from oysters in the ocean gather, pull together, collect, garner - assemble or get together; "gather some stones"; "pull your thoughts together" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
pearl
nounRelated words
adjectives margaric, margaritic
adjectives margaric, margaritic
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
pearl
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
pearl
[pəːl]A. N → perla f; (= mother-of-pearl) → nácar m, madreperla f
pearl of wisdom (fig) → joya f de sabiduría
to cast pearls before swine → echar margaritas a los cerdos
pearl of wisdom (fig) → joya f de sabiduría
to cast pearls before swine → echar margaritas a los cerdos
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
pearl
(pəːl) noun a valuable, hard, round object formed by oysters and several other shellfish. The necklace consists of three strings of pearls; (also adjective) a pearl necklace.perla
ˈpearly adjectiveˈpearl-diver, ˈpearl-fisher nouns a person who dives or fishes for pearls. pescador de perlas
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
pearl
→ perlaMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009