pearl
pearl — noun
1. a smooth, valuable ball that grows inside some shellfish and is used in jewelry
a smooth, valuable ball that grows inside some shellfish and is used in jewelry
A diver found a pearl inside the oyster near Okinawa.
find a pearl in an oyster
Grandma kept a loose pearl from her earring in a small blue box.
The museum showed a huge pearl from the South China Sea.
a huge pearl
Mina wore a pearl on a thin gold chain.
- real pearl
- pearl necklace
- pearl earring
- string of pearls
Grammar Patterns
find a pearl
a pearl necklace
real pearl
Usage Note
Usually countable when you mean one gem. Distinguish from noun/2, where pearl means jewelry made with pearls as a material category.
2. jewelry made with pearls rather than with metal or stones alone
jewelry made with pearls rather than with metal or stones alone
At the winter wedding, Lina wore pearl earrings instead of diamonds.
pearl earrings
The gallery displays antique pearl necklaces from old family collections.
antique pearl necklaces
Under the restaurant lights, Aunt Mei's pearl necklace looked softer than silver.
pearl necklace
For formal dinners, Aunt Mei always chooses pearl over gold.
choose pearl over gold
- antique pearl
- wear pearl
- pearl set
- pearl brooch
- jewelry
much broader; it includes gold, silver, stones, and many other materials
Grammar Patterns
wear pearl
buy pearl
choose pearl over gold
Usage Note
Used as an uncountable fashion word for pearl jewelry in general. Distinguish from noun/1, which names one pearl itself.
Common Mistakes
3. a man-made bead meant to look like a real pearl
a man-made bead meant to look like a real pearl
The costume necklace used cheap pearls instead of real ones.
cheap pearls
Lena bought imitation pearls for the school play costume.
imitation pearls
The white pearls looked bright, but each bead was made of glass.
glass pearls
The market stall sold costume pearls beside a case of real rings.
costume pearls
- imitation pearls
- fake pearl necklace
- glass pearls
- costume pearls
- fake pearl
an everyday label that clearly says it is not real
- imitation pearl
a slightly more formal retail term
- costume pearl
often used for decorative pieces that are not made with valuable materials
- real pearl
a genuine pearl formed inside a shellfish
Grammar Patterns
fake pearl
imitation pearl
glass pearl
Usage Note
Distinguish from noun/1: this sense is for a man-made copy, not a gem that formed inside a shell.
Common Mistakes
4. very small round pieces of food, especially ones added to drinks or desserts
very small round pieces of food, especially ones added to drinks or desserts
The baker scattered sugar pearls over the pink birthday cake.
sugar pearls
Black pearls sank to the bottom of my milk tea.
pearls in milk tea
The dessert came with tiny chocolate pearls on top.
chocolate pearls
Nina counted the soft tapioca pearls in her spoon.
- sugar pearls
- tapioca pearls
- chocolate pearls
- pearls in milk tea
Grammar Patterns
sugar pearls
tapioca pearls
chocolate pearls
Usage Note
Usually plural in everyday use. Common with dessert or drink words such as sugar, chocolate, and tapioca.
5. a very small, round drop of liquid sitting on something
a very small, round drop of liquid sitting on something
A pearl of sweat ran down Ken's neck.
a pearl of sweat
A pearl of water clung to the tip of the leaf.
a pearl of water
One pearl of oil floated on the soup.
The nurse wiped a pearl of blood from Mia's arm.
a pearl of blood
- a pearl of sweat
- a pearl of rain
- a pearl of blood
Grammar Patterns
a pearl of sweat
a pearl of rain
a pearl of blood
Usage Note
Usually appears in the pattern a pearl of + liquid. It is more descriptive and literary than the everyday word drop.
6. a pale white color with a soft shine, like a pearl
a pale white color with a soft shine, like a pearl
The Park family chose pearl for the bedroom walls.
choose pearl for walls
The catalog showed the wedding shoes in pearl, ivory, and silver.
in pearl, ivory, and silver
The car brochure offered this model in pearl and silver.
offered this model in pearl
The designer matched pearl curtains with light gray chairs.
pearl curtains
- painted in pearl
- pearl walls
- pearl curtains
- pearl finish
- jet black
a strong dark color, opposite in brightness
Grammar Patterns
painted in pearl
pearl walls
pearl shoes
Usage Note
Common in paint, fabric, and product design. Before a noun, adjective/1 often sounds more natural when you are describing the look rather than naming the color itself.
7. the hard, shiny inside layer of some shells, used for buttons and decoration
the hard, shiny inside layer of some shells, used for buttons and decoration
The box lid was lined with mother-of-pearl from river shells.
lined with mother-of-pearl
Workers once cut mother-of-pearl buttons in this town.
mother-of-pearl buttons
The guitar has mother-of-pearl inlay around the sound hole.
mother-of-pearl inlay
Her fan was decorated with mother-of-pearl and painted flowers.
decorated with mother-of-pearl
- mother-of-pearl
- mother-of-pearl buttons
- mother-of-pearl inlay
- mother-of-pearl handle
- mother-of-pearl
the usual full name for this shell material
- nacre
a scientific or technical term for the same substance
Grammar Patterns
cut mother-of-pearl for buttons
inlaid with mother-of-pearl
made of mother-of-pearl
Usage Note
Usually uncountable and often follows made of, cut from, or inlaid with. The everyday phrase mother-of-pearl names the same material more clearly.
To give something valuable to someone who cannot appreciate it.
Mina felt she was casting pearls before swine when explaining art to him.
Why throw pearls before swine by sharing your best ideas with that group?
a pearl of wisdom
idiomA short but very wise statement or piece of advice.
Grandpa offered a pearl of wisdom before we left for college.
Did you catch that pearl of wisdom from the guest speaker?
pearl — verb
1. if liquid pearls, it breaks into many tiny round drops over something
if liquid pearls, it breaks into many tiny round drops over something
Cold water pearled on the outside of the glass.
liquid + pearl on [surface]
Sweat pearled on his forehead during the last song.
sweat pearled on his forehead
Rain began to pearl on the plastic tent roof.
As the soup cooled, oil pearled across the top in tiny circles.
oil pearled across the top
- water pearled on the glass
- sweat pearled
- rain pearled on the roof
Grammar Patterns
water pearled on the glass
sweat pearled on his forehead
rain pearled on the roof
Usage Note
The subject is the liquid itself, and the surface usually comes after on or across. Distinguish from verb/2, where the subject is the surface.
2. if a surface pearls, it becomes covered with many tiny round drops
if a surface pearls, it becomes covered with many tiny round drops
The bathroom mirror pearled after Leo took a hot shower.
surface + pearl after heat
The bottle pearled in the summer heat on the porch.
the bottle pearled
By dawn, the grass had pearled with cool dew.
pearled with dew
Mia's upper lip pearled with sweat before she walked onto the stage.
body part + pearled with sweat
- the mirror pearled
- the bottle pearled
- pearled with dew
Grammar Patterns
the mirror pearled
the grass pearled with dew
the bottle pearled in the heat
Usage Note
The subject is the thing whose surface gets covered with droplets. Common subjects are mirrors, bottles, skin, grass, and windows.
pearl — adjective
1. shining softly like a pearl in color or surface
shining softly like a pearl in color or surface
Marta chose pearl paint for the bedroom walls instead of plain white.
pearl + noun for finish
The paint dried to a pearl finish on the wooden frame.
a pearl finish
His bike helmet had a pearl white stripe above the visor.
pearl white
Under stage lights, the dancer's shoes took on a pearl glow.
a pearl glow
- pearl finish
- pearl white
- pearl shine
- pearl paint
- pearly
a common near-synonym with the same soft bright look
- lustrous
more formal and broader; it does not specifically suggest pearl color
- iridescent
often suggests changing colors, which pearl does not always imply
Grammar Patterns
a pearl finish
pearl white
a pearl shine
Usage Note
This sense describes appearance only. Distinguish from adjective/2, which means actual pearls are used as part of the object.
2. made with pearls, or decorated by having pearls on it
made with pearls, or decorated by having pearls on it
The bride wore a pearl veil trimmed with tiny seed pearls.
a pearl veil trimmed with pearls
A pearl belt with two rows of pearls hung in the shop.
a pearl belt with pearls
The museum displayed a pearl gown covered with seed pearls.
a pearl gown with seed pearls
Daniel bought a pearl hairpin set with three seed pearls.
a pearl hairpin set with seed pearls
- pearl veil
- pearl belt
- pearl jacket
- pearl hairpin
- beaded
can include many kinds of beads, not specifically pearls
- ornamented
broader and more formal; it does not say what the decoration is
- plain
without added decoration
Grammar Patterns
a pearl veil
a pearl belt
a pearl hairpin
Usage Note
Use this sense when pearls are actual parts of the object. If you only mean the look or color, adjective/1 is a better fit.
Word family
- pearlyadjectiveC1
- pearlescentadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
For noun/1, pearl names a valuable round object that forms naturally inside certain shellfish. Bead is mainly a shape word: beads can be plastic, glass, wood, or stone, so they are usually not precious by themselves. Gem is a broader category word for valuable decorative stones and similar objects; pearls fit under that broad idea, but gem does not tell you where the object came from. Jewel often focuses on value or decorative use, and it can mean either one valuable piece or jewelry in general. Say The diver found a pearl in the oyster, not a bead. Say The necklace has pearls and other gems when you want both the specific object and the wider category.
Common collocations
Nouns
- pearl necklace
- pearl earrings
- pearl button
- pearl finish
Phrases
- a string of pearls
- real pearl
- fake pearl
- mother-of-pearl
Prepositions
- in pearl
- with pearls
Etymology
Pearl entered English in the Middle English period through Anglo-French. The older form is probably connected to a Late Latin word related to Latin perna, a word used for a kind of sea mussel. Over time, English kept pearl as the ordinary name for the shining round gem found in shells, and later extended it to related ideas such as pearl color and pearl-like drops.