porcelain

American  

[pawr-suh-lin, pohr-, pawrs-lin, pohrs-] / ˈpɔr sə lɪn, ˈpoʊr-, ˈpɔrs lɪn, ˈpoʊrs- /

noun

1. a strong, vitreous, translucent ceramic material, biscuit-fired at a low temperature, the glaze then fired at a very high temperature.

2. ware made from this.

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porcelain British  

/ ˈpɔːsə-, ˈpɔːslɪn, ˌpɔːsəˈleɪnɪəs, -leɪn /

noun

1. a more or less translucent ceramic material, the principal ingredients being kaolin and petuntse (hard paste) or other clays, ground glassy substances, soapstone, bone ash, etc

2. an object made of this or such objects collectively

3. (modifier) of, relating to, or made from this material

   a porcelain cup

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Other Word Forms

• porcelaneous
  adjective
• porcellaneous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of porcelain

1520–30; < French porcelaine < Italian porcellana originally, a type of cowry shell, apparently likened to the vulva of a sow, noun use of feminine of porcellano of a young sow, equivalent to porcell ( a ), diminutive of porca sow ( see pork, -elle) + -ano -an

Explanation

Your mom's favorite white china plates are probably made out of porcelain. Porcelain is a nearly translucent ceramic material used to make plates, bowls, and cups. The dishes at a fancy restaurant are often porcelain, a fine, delicate kind of china. Sometimes knickknacks, dolls, and art objects are also made from porcelain. The word comes from the Italian word for "cowrie shell," porcellana, which compares the shiny look of porcelain to the polished inside of a shell. Porcelain has a tricky spelling — although it ends with ain, it rhymes with ten, not rain.

Example Sentences

Sailing west across the Pacific for three months, the ships brought silver coins from Spain's American colonies to Manila, where they would be exchanged for luxury goods like silk, porcelain and jade from China.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Not the silken, restaurant version piped into porcelain.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

He is bearded and buff; she is a porcelain doll with Wednesday Addams hair and skin.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

This complete figurine of a seated pug dog in plain white-glazed porcelain with black details was found in the grave of an unnamed female at St James' Gardens in Euston.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Later, remembering the dream, I thought about a porcelain lady with no head or arms that I saw one time in a shop in Atlanta.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Related Words

• ceramic
• ceramics
• enamel