pearl

SayPURLUS/pɝl/UK/pɜːl/

24 meanings of pearl

1
nouncountable or uncountable
A small, shiny, usually round ball that grows inside an oyster or mussel and is used in jewelry.
My mom's ring has one white pearl in the middle.
Only a few oysters ever have a pearl inside them.
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2
useful tipnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A short, useful piece of advice or knowledge that helps you decide what to do.
My coach gave me one pearl I still use: always warm up before you run.
Grandpa loves to share his pearls of wisdom at dinner.
Similartip, nugget, gem
3
treasurenounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
Something or someone that is very special and precious.
Our neighbor is a real pearl. She helps everyone on our street.
This little lake is the pearl of the whole park.
Similargem, jewel, treasure
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4
shell materialnouncountable or uncountable
The shiny material that pearls are made of, also called mother-of-pearl.
The old knife has a handle made of pearl.
Her jewelry box has a lid covered in thin pieces of shiny pearl.
Similarnacre
5
bubble teanouncountable or uncountableabbreviationellipsis
Short for pearl tapioca. Small balls of tapioca, like the ones in bubble tea.
Can I get a mango tea with pearl?
My little brother loves pearl milk tea.
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6
verbfigurativelytransitive
To decorate something with pearls, or with small things that look like pearls.
The dressmakers pearl the wedding dress by hand.
Raindrops pearled the car window after the storm.
Similarbead, stud
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7
bead upverbintransitive
For a liquid, to form small round drops.
Rain pearled on the leaves of the plants.
Watch the water pearl on the waxed car.
Similarbead
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8
shape grainsverbtransitive
To make something into small round grains, like little pearls.
Machines pearl the barley before it goes into bags.
Long ago, people pearled their grain by hand, rubbing off the hard outer layer.
9
make shinyverbtransitive
To make something look shiny and glowing, like a pearl.
The artist will pearl the vase with a shiny glaze.
Moonlight pearled the surface of the lake.
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10
hunt oystersverbintransitive
To go out looking for pearls.
Every summer they go pearling along the coast.
The divers pearl all morning and rest in the afternoon.

11
surfingverbintransitive
In surfing, to let the front of your board dig under the water, often when catching a wave.
If you lean too far forward, you will pearl and fall off.
Her board pearled, and she flew into the water.
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12
soft capsulenouncountable or uncountable
A capsule made of gelatin or something like it, with liquid such as medicine inside.
Swallow one pearl with a glass of water after dinner.
The vitamin E pearls are small and easy to swallow.
13
aquarium plantsverbintransitive
Of underwater plants, to show tiny bubbles on their leaves while using light to make food.
After I added a brighter lamp, the plants in my fish tank began to pearl.
Look closely and you can see the moss pearling in the afternoon sun.
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14
sex organnounslangvulgareuphemisticfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A softer slang word for the clitoris, a part of a woman's sex organs.
In the story, his touch on her pearl made her gasp.
Her friends joked about which of their boyfriends could even find the pearl.
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15
eye spotnouncountable or uncountable
A small white spot or thin white layer on the eye.
The old horse had a pearl in one eye and could not see well.
Grandpa's eye doctor found a small pearl on his left eye.
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16
coat of armsnouncountable or uncountable
In coats of arms, the color silver or white, when colors are named after jewels.
(1) Pearl, a Cross, Ruby, with the Effigies of our Saviour thereon, Topaz, born in Memory of one of the Family's fighting against the Turks.
1754, John Lodge, The Peerage of IrelandHere, Pearl means the color silver or white on a coat of arms.
Similarargent
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17
print sizenoundateduncountable
A very small size of letters used in printing, equal to 5 points.
The tiny Bible was printed in pearl, so the book stayed thin.
I needed a magnifying glass to read the notes set in pearl.
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18
video gameverbintransitive
In the game Minecraft, to throw an ender pearl to move instantly to another spot.
If a creeper gets close, just pearl away.
I pearled across the lava just in time.
19
any jewelnounobsoletecountable or uncountable
A jewel or precious stone of any kind.
There is gold, and multitude of pearles: but a precious vessel the lips of knowledge.
1635, Douay Rheims Bible, Proverbs 20:15Here, pearles means jewels or precious stones of any kind.
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20
deer antlernouncountable or uncountable
One of the small bumps that form a rough ring on a deer's antler.
Each pearl on the antler felt like a tiny stone.
The old deer's antlers had big pearls close to its head.
21
verb
To look like a pearl or like pearls.
22
noun
The brill, a fish that is a close relative of the turbot.
23
noun
A seabird called a tern that has light-colored feathers.
24
noun
A fringe or a border along an edge.

Practice

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Origin

From the Old French word perle. Its origin is not certain, but it probably comes from a Latin word for a kind of shellfish.