pearl

[ purl ]

/ pɜrl /

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noun

a smooth, rounded bead formed within the shells of certain mollusks and composed of the mineral aragonite or calcite in a matrix, deposited in concentric layers as a protective coating around an irritating foreign object: valued as a gem when lustrous and finely colored.Compare cultured pearl.

something resembling this, as various synthetic substances for use in costume jewelry.

something similar in form, luster, etc., as a dewdrop or a capsule of medicine.

something precious or choice; the finest example of anything: pearls of wisdom.

a very pale gray approaching white but commonly with a bluish tinge.

mother-of-pearl: a pearl-handled revolver.

Printing. a 5-point type.

Also called epithelial pearl. Pathology. a rounded mass of keratin occurring in certain carcinomas of the skin.

verb (used with object)

to adorn or stud with or as with pearls.

to make like pearls, as in form or color.

verb (used without object)

to dive, fish, or search for pearls.

to assume a pearllike form or appearance.

adjective

resembling a pearl in form or color.

of or relating to pearls: pearl diving.

set with a pearl or pearls or covered or inlaid with pearls or mother-of-pearl: a pearl necklace.

having or reduced to small, rounded grains.

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Idioms about pearl

cast pearls before swine, to offer or give something of great value to those incapable of appreciating it: She read them Shakespeare but it was casting pearls before swine.

Origin of pearl

1300–50; Middle English perle<Middle French <Italian or assumed Vulgar Latin *perla (>German Perle,Old English pærl), for Latin *pernula (>Portuguese perola, perhaps Old Saxon përula), diminutive of Latin perna sea mussel

OTHER WORDS FROM pearl

pearler, nounpearlish, adjectivepearllike, adjective

Words nearby pearl

peanuts, peanut worm, pear, pear haw, pea rifle, pearl, Pearland, pearlash, pearl barley, pearl blue, Pearl City

Other definitions for pearl (2 of 2)

Pearl

[ purl ]

/ pɜrl /

noun

a town in central Mississippi.

a female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

MORE ABOUT PEARL

What does pearl mean?

A pearl is a smooth, rounded bead formed inside the shells of certain mollusks, such as clams and oysters.

Pearls are known for being used in jewelry, such as pearl necklaces and pearl earrings.

Pearls vary in size and color. They are most commonly an iridescent, milky white, but they can be several other colors, including gray and even black.

Although pearls are not stones, the pearl is one of the birthstones for the month of June, along with moonstone and alexandrite. It is associated with the zodiac signs Gemini and Cancer.

The word pearl is sometimes used figuratively to refer to something precious or to the finest example of something, such as in the phrase pearls of wisdom.

Pearl can also be a girl’s name.

Example: My grandmother left me her pearl necklace, and I always wear it on special occasions.

Where does pearl come from?

The first records of the word pearl come from the 1300s. It comes from the Middle English perle, ultimately from the Latin perna, meaning “sea mussel.”

Mollusks like clams and oysters produce pearls when an irritant—such as a grain of sand—gets inside their shell. The particle is coated with thin layers of mother-of-pearl, the hard, iridescent substance that makes up the inside of mollusk shells. Pearls are primarily composed of calcium carbonate (which is what mother-of-pearl mainly consists of).

Some pearls are cultured—meaning they are “grown” inside mollusk shells by intentionally introducing the irritant that will start the process that produces a pearl.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to pearl?

pearllike (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with pearl?

What are some words that often get used in discussing pearl?

How is pearl used in real life?

Pearls are known for their use in jewelry, especially earrings and necklaces. They are associated with preciousness.

Out of the 5 million oysters sold at his business each year, the chef said only a couple of people have found a pearl in his 25 years working there. https://t.co/naubeRyIbV

— Idaho Statesman (@IdahoStatesman) December 18, 2018

I'm wearing my grandmother's pearl necklace today, I feel fancy.

— Lauren Matthews (@miss_matthews) January 11, 2013

Also 100 years ago, pearls were incredibly expensive and *the* luxury gem. Then cultured pearls were developed in the 1930s.

— Virginia Postrel (@vpostrel) May 12, 2021

Try using pearl!

True or False?

Pearls are only ever white.

How to use pearl in a sentence

There are some folks who point out, correctly, that Pearl is at work on a causal calculus, that is, a calculus that can do causal reasoning.
Literature Should Be Taught Like Science - Issue 97: Wonder|Kevin Berger|February 24, 2021|Nautilus
Jackie is the pearl of a new restaurant in Navy Yard, a high-concept addition to the neighborhood’s dining scene.
At Jackie, food is a catalyst for conversation|Evan Caplan|September 24, 2020|Washington Blade
Those with means have shifted to grow crops such as pearl millet, cow peas, bottle gourd and corn — essentially anything but rice — that use a fraction of the water.
UrbanKisaan is betting on vertical farming to bring pesticide-free vegetables to consumers and fight India’s water crisis|Manish Singh|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
Most recently, LNC was used to grow watermelon, pearl millet, and zucchini in the desert outside Dubai.
A Norwegian Startup Is Turning Dry Deserts Into Fertile Cropland|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|August 19, 2020|Singularity Hub

There’s a pearl of old internet wisdom to be skeptical of everything you see on the Internet.
Testimonial link building: Using real experiences for success|Rameez Ghayas Usmani|July 15, 2020|Search Engine Watch
But Ruby Pearl kept order, and the more responsibility she took the more Spahn relied upon her.
Gay Talese on Charlie Manson’s Home on the Range|Gay Talese|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the last few years, however, Spahn gradually began to notice changes in Ruby Pearl.
Gay Talese on Charlie Manson’s Home on the Range|Gay Talese|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What was America supposed to do after Pearl Harbor, put the keys to the Golden Gate in an airmail envelope and send them to Tojo?
Up To A Point: What We Really Need Is a Nobel War Prize|P. J. O’Rourke|October 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1882, the Pearl Street station, in lower Manhattan, went on line, with 59 customers – mostly businesses and factories.
From Edison to Jobs|The Daily Beast|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But after Pearl Harbor there was no longer a case for special pleading.
Blood and War: The Hard Truth About ‘Boots on the Ground’|Clive Irving|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"The Seorita is a pearl of prudence and discretion: do whatever she desired you," said Alphonse.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
I must admit that there is some excuse for you; the pearl of Andalusia is undoubtedly ravissante.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
It must have been the window-panes, for he was anxious to get the most beautiful mother-of-pearl he could find.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
He knows the whole piano literature, and is continually fishing up some new or old pearl or other to surprise one with.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
The wind-blown rain-makers lost their leaden hue and became a soft pearl-gray, all fleecy white around the edges.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for pearl (1 of 2)

pearl¹

/ (pɜːl) /

noun

a hard smooth lustrous typically rounded structure occurring on the inner surface of the shell of a clam or oyster: consists of calcium carbonate secreted in layers around an invading particle such as a sand grain; much valued as a gemRelated adjectives: margaric, margaritic

any artificial gem resembling this

See mother-of-pearl

a person or thing that is like a pearl, esp in beauty or value

a pale greyish-white colour, often with a bluish tinge

a size of printer's type, approximately equal to 5 point

adjective

of, made of, or set with pearl or mother-of-pearl

having the shape or colour of a pearl

verb

(tr) to set with or as if with pearls

to shape into or assume a pearl-like form or colour

(intr) to dive or search for pearls

Word Origin for pearl

C14: from Old French, from Vulgar Latin pernula (unattested), from Latin perna sea mussel

British Dictionary definitions for pearl (2 of 2)

pearl²

/ (pɜːl) /

noun, verb

a variant spelling of purl 1 (def. 2), purl 1 (def. 3), purl 1 (def. 5)

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

Medical definitions for pearl

pearl

[ pûrl ]

A small sphere of thin glass containing amyl nitrite or other volatile fluid, designed to be crushed, as in a handkerchief, so that its contents can be inhaled.

Any of a number of small tough masses of mucus occurring in the sputum in asthma.

Scientific definitions for pearl

pearl

[ pûrl ]

A smooth, slightly iridescent, white or grayish rounded growth inside the shells of some mollusks. Pearls form as a reaction to the presence of a foreign particle, and consist of thin layers of mother-of-pearl that are deposited around the particle. The pearls of oysters are often valued as gems.

pearl

Idioms about pearl

Origin of pearl

OTHER WORDS FROM pearl

Words nearby pearl

Other definitions for pearl (2 of 2)

MORE ABOUT PEARL

What does pearl mean?

Where does pearl come from?

Did you know … ?

How is pearl used in real life?

Try using pearl!

Words related to pearl

How to use pearl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pearl (1 of 2)

Word Origin for pearl

British Dictionary definitions for pearl (2 of 2)

Medical definitions for pearl

Scientific definitions for pearl