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Pearl

//pɝl// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A unisex given name from English.; A female given name from English. countable, uncountable

    "Her Pearl!—For so had Hester called her; not as a name expressive of her aspect, which had nothing of the calm, white, unimpassioned lustre that would be indicated by the comparison. But she named the infant "Pearl," as being of great price,—purchased with all she had,—her mother's only treasure!"

  2. 2
    A unisex given name from English.; A male given name from English. countable, rare, uncountable
  3. 3
    A surname from English. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    A placename:; A major river in Guangdong, China; in full, the Pearl River. countable, uncountable

    "The only news of interest brought by the Calcutta and China mail is that the river Pearl, in Southern China, had been explored by a party of the British to the distance of 195 miles."

  5. 5
    A placename:; Short for Pearl River (Etymology 2): a river in Mississippi and Louisiana, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, uncountable
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  1. 6
    A placename:; Ellipsis of Pearl Harbor: a harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, United States, in the Pacific Ocean. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
Noun
  1. 1
    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. countable, literally, uncountable
  2. 2
    a shade of white the color of bleached bones wordnet
  3. 3
    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.; Nacre; mother-of-pearl. countable, literally, uncountable
  4. 4
    a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel wordnet
  5. 5
    Something precious. countable, figuratively, uncountable

    "I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's pearl."

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  1. 6
    a shape that is spherical and small wordnet
  2. 7
    A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing liquid for, e.g., medicinal application. countable, uncountable
  3. 8
    A whitish speck or film on the eye. countable, uncountable

    "Boast not of your eyes; it is feared you have Balaam's disease, a pearl in your eye, Mammon's prestriction."

  4. 9
    A fish allied to the turbot; the brill. countable, uncountable
  5. 10
    A light-colored tern. countable, uncountable
  6. 11
    One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer's antler. countable, uncountable
  7. 12
    A fringe or border. countable, uncountable
  8. 13
    A valuable little nugget of information; especially, an aphorism or tip that is operationally useful for decision-making. countable, figuratively, uncountable

    "clinical pearls"

  9. 14
    The clitoris. countable, euphemistic, figuratively, slang, uncountable, vulgar

    "My mouth and tongue finally find her pearl. Her clitoris."

  10. 15
    Ellipsis of pearl tapioca. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
  11. 16
    Argent, in blazoning by precious stones. countable, uncountable

    "Errol. Pearl three Escutcheons Ruby. / Elgin. Topaz a Saltier and Chief Ruby, on a Canton Pearl a Lyon Rampant Saphyr, which last is their paternal Coat; and the Field Topaz, and Saltier, and Chief Ruby, was the Arms of King Robert the Bruce, they altering the Field from Pearl (as he bore it) to Topaz."

  12. 17
    The size of type between diamond and agate, standardized as 5-point. dated, uncountable
  13. 18
    A jewel or gem. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "There is gold, and multitude of pearles: but a precious vessel the lips of knowledge."

Verb
  1. 1
    To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. figuratively, sometimes, transitive

    "Syed Omar began to walk to the airport. Sweat pearled his tough brown skin, his fat bounced in rhythm."

  2. 2
    gather pearls, from oysters in the ocean wordnet
  3. 3
    To cause to resemble pearls in shape; to make into small round grains. transitive

    "to pearl barley"

  4. 4
    To cause to resemble pearls in lustre or iridescence. transitive

    "A Teaching Company Scheme developing new technology for pearling light bulbs was established in October […]"

  5. 5
    To resemble pearl or pearls. intransitive
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  1. 6
    To bead; to form droplets. intransitive

    "I'm left here with the memory of all their shining words, like drops of water pearling on the window-pane"

  2. 7
    To hunt for pearls intransitive

    "to go pearling"

  3. 8
    To sink the nose of one's surfboard into the water, often on takeoff. intransitive

    "Used a pointed tip today and learned why I kept pearling with my round tipped board. Round noses like to dig into the water, causing frustrating wipeouts."

  4. 9
    Of the nose of the surfboard: to sink in this manner. intransitive

    "He couldn't even turn the board or raise the nose. Consequently, the board pearled, nose-dived into the water, throwing Lee off almost like being thrown from a horse. But he persisted."

  5. 10
    Of aquatic plants: to produce visible bubbles on the stems and leaves during photosynthesis, usually in a simulated environment like an aquarium. intransitive
  6. 11
    To use an ender pearl to teleport by throwing it.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English perle, from Old French perle of uncertain etymology. Probably via unattested Medieval Latin *pernula, from Latin perna (“haunch; a marine bivalve shaped like a leg of lamb”) but also derived from Medieval Latin perla, from Latin perula (“little bag”). Its typographic use follows the name given by Jean Jannon to the type used in his miniature editions of Vergil, Horace, & the New Testament in the 1620s, which were the smallest printed works to his time. Its surfing use derives from the supposed resemblance to pearl diving.

Etymology 2

From Middle English perle, from Old French perle of uncertain etymology. Probably via unattested Medieval Latin *pernula, from Latin perna (“haunch; a marine bivalve shaped like a leg of lamb”) but also derived from Medieval Latin perla, from Latin perula (“little bag”). Its typographic use follows the name given by Jean Jannon to the type used in his miniature editions of Vergil, Horace, & the New Testament in the 1620s, which were the smallest printed works to his time. Its surfing use derives from the supposed resemblance to pearl diving.

Etymology 3

From pearl. * (river in China): From Chinese 珠江 (Zhūjiāng, Zyu1 Gong1, “Pearl River”); calque of Chinese 珠 (zhū, zyu1, “pearl”). * (haven in Hawaii): From Hawaiian Wai Momi (“pearl water”); calque of Hawaiian momi (“pearl”).

See also for "pearl"

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