opalescent

American

[oh-puh-les-uhnt] / ˌoʊ pəˈlɛs ənt /

adjective

exhibiting a play of colors like that of the opal.
having a milky iridescence.

opalescent British

/ ˌəʊpəˈlɛsənt /

adjective

having or emitting an iridescence like that of an opal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

opalescent Scientific

/ ō′pə-lĕs′ənt /

Exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of opal.

Other Word Forms

opalescence noun
opalescently adverb

Etymology

Origin of opalescent

First recorded in 1805–15; opal + -escent

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.

The crab is small, being around 15 millimeters in length, and is opalescent white-yellow in color.

From Science Daily • Oct. 8, 2025

They traded a few lines and harmonized beautifully on the chorus — her tone opalescent, his bringing some grit — but Combs never overshadowed Chapman.

From New York Times • Feb. 5, 2024

The powdered slurry becomes a strong, opalescent material called sintered glass.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 10, 2023

Beside us, in the lamplight, is a seated figure, inflamed and opalescent, like a flaring ember.

From Washington Post • Aug. 19, 2020

She adds a cardboard flat of opalescent buttons for my unfinished dress.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023