pearly

[ pur-lee ]
See synonyms for pearly on Thesaurus.com
adjective,pearl·i·er, pearl·i·est.
  1. like a pearl, especially in being white or lustrous; nacreous: her pearly teeth.

  2. adorned with or abounding in pearls or mother-of-pearl.

Origin of pearly

1
First recorded in 1400–50, pearly is from the late Middle English word peerly. See pearl, -y1

Other words from pearly

  • pearl·i·ness, noun

Words Nearby pearly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pearly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pearly

pearly

/ (ˈpɜːlɪ) /


adjectivepearlier or pearliest
  1. resembling a pearl, esp in lustre

  2. of the colour pearl; pale bluish-grey

  1. decorated with pearls or mother-of-pearl

nounplural pearlies (in Britain)
  1. a London costermonger who wears on ceremonial occasions a traditional dress of dark clothes covered with pearl buttons

  2. (plural) the clothes or the buttons themselves

Derived forms of pearly

  • pearliness, noun

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