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.
something resembling a bead formed in the shells of certain mollusks, such as various synthetic substances for use in costume jewelry.
The pearls on this rosary are made of glass and protected by silver-plated double filigree caps.
something similar in form, luster, etc., to a bead formed in the shells of certain mollusks, such as a dewdrop or a capsule of medicine.
She wiped the pearls of sweat from her forehead.
something precious or choice; the finest example of anything.
An older couple offered us some pearls of wisdom about keeping a marriage healthy.
The pearl of the museum's collection is one of Van Gogh's paintings, but there are many other things worth seeing.
a very pale gray approaching white but commonly with a bluish tinge.
We wanted to paint the walls eggshell at first, but we ultimately decided on a cooler color and went with pearl.
mother-of-pearl (usually used in combination).
His collection includes a beautiful antique 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.
to adorn or stud with or as if with pearls.
The crown, newly pearled and gilded, shone in the candlelight.
to make like pearls, as in form or color.
Opalescent discs of abalone shell caught the light and pearled it back in many colors.
to dive, fish, or search for mollusks that produce beads within their shells.
While pearling near the coast, they discovered the remains of a centuries-old shipwreck.
to assume a pearllike form or appearance.
A tear pearled on her lashes.
resembling the gemstone produced by certain mollusks in form or color.
The dress is a lovely pearl gray.
of or relating to pearls.
If you really want to splurge, book a trip to go pearl diving in French Polynesia.
An eco-friendly pearl farming industry could decrease heavy metals in the water and bring economic benefits to this region.
set with a pearl or pearls, or covered or inlaid with pearls or mother-of-pearl.
She wore a navy blue suit and a pearl necklace.
having or reduced to small, rounded grains.
Pearl millet is a common crop of the region.
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.
pearls in your oysters, good luck to you (often used when parting or in thanks).
Well, I've got to go now—pearls in your oysters.
a town in central Mississippi.
a female given name.
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 gem
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
of, made of, or set with pearl or mother-of-pearl
having the shape or colour of a pearl
(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
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.
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English perle, from Middle French, from Italian or assumed Vulgar Latin perla (unrecorded), from Latin pernula (unrecorded), from pern(a) “sea mussel,” also “ham, thigh” (compare Old English fiersn, Greek ptérnē, Sanskrit pā́rṣṇi “heel”) + -ula, feminine of -ulus -ule ( def. )
A pearl is a white, round gem formed inside an oyster or clam. Pearl can also refer to something that resembles the gem in color or shape, like a pearl of sweat that forms on your forehead when you're hot. Why is a pearl called a pearl? It isn't clear where the Medieval Latin word perla comes from. Some believe it refers to the shape of the shell in which pearls are found: either pear, like the shapely fruit, or perna, literally "ham," because the shell is shaped like a pig's leg.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But it was the grit that grew a pearl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Neetu, a 28-year-old farmer, said she used the product on her pearl millet crop and cut urea application by about one-third without affecting yields.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
He criticised "pearl clutching and hypocrisy from people who should know better".
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
I tend to order tartare whenever I see it, and Redbird’s version stands out: served over a crisp potato tosti with caramelized onion crema, egg jam, pickled pearl onion, and shaved marrow.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026
The pearl ring on her left hand was cold against my palm.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
Pearl Jam protested the practices of Columbia House, and the bum deal it gave artists, but made little headway as the club boomed to 16 million members in the 1990s.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
"I do think that the mayor himself - I have suggested that he sort of unnecessarily antagonises people occasionally," Pearl said.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
"But we chose Japan, for Japan has a huge number of fans. And they really love Vermeer. They love 'Girl with a Pearl Earring,'" Gosselink said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
James Wilson, co-host of the Srsly Risky Biz podcast, likened the attacks to an “endless amount of cyber mosquitoes,” as opposed to a “cyber Pearl Harbor.”
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
The Pearl incident provoked a riot in Washington when the ship and escapees were brought back to the city.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Hardware is a universal classic — as much as diamonds or pearls are a universal classic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Pearl diving has all but disappeared, particularly after the mass production of cultured pearls on farms after World War I. In Gulf countries, the extinction of this profession converges with a familiar story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
And I’ll make my financial case for how I justified writing a lump-sum check to a travel agency so large that I could picture my bank account clutching its proverbial pearls.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
The portrait features an Indian woman in a formal pose, wearing a string of pearls, a large emerald pendant and a nose ring.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Aunt Goldie touched her fingers to her pearls.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
The discovery echoes others: Watanabe had noticed similar pearled axons in roundworms in 2013 but didn’t investigate further, and Burkhardt recently saw them in comb jellies.
From Science Magazine ● Dec. 2, 2024
I got more crystals that I could attach to the pearled bib.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2023
I used pearled farro for its milder flavor and quicker cook time, but you could use whole-grain farro if you’d like, you’d just need to precook it about halfway before using it here.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 22, 2022
It starts by simmering pearled farro with fresh apple cider, bay leaves and salt in a saucepan.
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2022
Like his mother, he was pearled with damp, and he shook his woollen hat over the stove to make the drops jump and spit.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
Ms. Fernando struck upon the premise of her research after joining some Sri Lankan naturalists to document the flora and fauna of the Gulf of Mannar, which once constituted the British Crown’s richest pearling grounds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Along the warm, brackish waters of the Persian Gulf, drilling rigs now overlook old pearling grounds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Johns Hopkins graduate student and study first author Jacqueline Griswold tested the idea but found no effect on axon pearling.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024
He thinks the pearling probably has a functional purpose, and the new experiments offer a clue.
From Science Magazine ● Dec. 2, 2024
He wants me to go with his pearling schooner, and some other boats, to a place I think he calls Shark's Bay.
From The Second String by Nat Gould
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.
