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opalescence

[ oh-puh-les-uhns ]

/ ˌoʊ pəˈlɛs əns /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR opalescence

noun

a lustrous play of colors like that of an opal: This moonstone pendant has a lovely pearly opalescence.

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Question 1 of 9

You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?

To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.

To stew in a sauce for a long time.

To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.

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Origin of opalescence

opal + -escence

Words nearby opalescence

opacity, opacus, opah, opal, opalesce, opalescence, opalescent, opaleye, opal glass, opaline, Opa-Locka

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for opalescence

The alkaline bicarbonates either do not disturb the solution, or only cause a slight degree of opalescence.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley
The opalescence of the glass arises entirely from precipitated silica.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley
The opalescence above referred to principally affects the manubrium, tentacles, and margin of the nectocalyx.
Jellyfish, Starfish, and Sea-Urchins: Being a Research on Primitive Nervous Systems|G. J. Romanes
The opalescence, so painful to the eyes, had given place to a clear atmosphere; and the low sun was full of rich coloring.
Adrift in the Arctic Ice Pack|Elisha Kent Kane

The globes upon the gruesome mammalian half-heads were still dark and unfired with opalescence.
Astounding Stories, May, 1931|Various

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