Word Explorer

Pearls

/pɜːlz/

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.

Full Dictionary Entry

📖 Definitions of "Pearls"

noun

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.
2
Something precious.
3
A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing liquid for e.g. medicinal application.
4
Nacre, or mother-of-pearl.

verb

1
(sometimes figurative) To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl.
2
To cause to resemble pearls in shape; to make into small round grains.
"to pearl barley"
3
To cause to resemble pearls in lustre or iridescence.
4
To resemble pearl or pearls.

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Pearls"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
ivorynoun	(uncountable) The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals.
bonenoun	(uncountable) A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates.
dropnoun	(also figuratively) A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own round shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.
off-whitenoun	A very pale colour that is almost white.
beadnoun	A small, round object with a hole to allow it to be threaded on a cord or wire, particularly for decorative purposes.
beadsnoun	A beaded necklace.
jewelsnoun	(slang) Family jewels; testicles.
naturalnoun	(music) A note that is not or is no longer to be modified by an accidental.
stonefliesnoun	Any of the freshwater aquatic insects in the order Plecoptera.
wordsnoun	Lyrics.
gemstones	the third solo album by American musician Adam Green.
gems	Gems, or gemstones, are polished, cut stones or minerals.
nacrenoun	A pearly substance made mainly of stacked layers of aragonite and organic matter which lines the interior of many shells; mother-of-pearl.
mother-of-pearlnoun	The hard pearly inner layer of certain mollusk shells; nacre.
margaritesnoun	(mineralogy) A calcium-rich member of the mica group of phyllosilicates, forming white to pinkish or yellowish-gray masses or thin laminae.
cabochonsnoun	(chiefly attributive) A precious stone which has only been polished, not cut into facets.
dropletsnoun	A very small drop.
globulesnoun	A small round particle of substance; a drop.
spheres	The Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellite are a series of miniaturized satellites developed by MIT's Space Systems Laboratory for NASA and US Military, to be used as a low-risk, extensible test bed for the development of metrology, formation flight, rendezvous, docking and autonomy algorithms that are critical for future space missions that use distributed spacecraft architecture, such as Terrestrial Planet Finder and Orbital Express.
orbsnoun	A spherical body; a sphere, especially one of the celestial spheres; a sun, planet, or star