adjective
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resembling a pearl, esp in lustre
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of the colour pearl; pale bluish-grey
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decorated with pearls or mother-of-pearl
noun
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a London costermonger who wears on ceremonial occasions a traditional dress of dark clothes covered with pearl buttons
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(plural) the clothes or the buttons themselves
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pearly
First recorded in 1400–50, pearly is from the late Middle English word peerly. See pearl, -y 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In women's doubles, Malaysian top seeds Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan beat Japanese number 4 seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 22-20, 21-19.
From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025
It is as Cockney as a Pearly Queen in a three-wheeler Del Boy van.
From BBC • Oct. 22, 2024
When Bruno is taken, Pearly ventures after him, enduring human evil and a challenging landscape to rescue her ursine brother.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2024
The conversation at the Pearly Gates just went next-level, folks.
From Seattle Times • May 27, 2024
Some people, like Pearly, knew who they were and where they came from.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
