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pearl

UK/pɜːl/ US/pʰəːɫ/ common slang
noun (3) verb (1)

noun

1.
2.
3.

a shape that is small and round

  • “he studied the shapes of low-viscosity drops”
  • “beads of sweat on his forehead”
Synonyms

verb

1.

gather pearls, from oysters in the ocean

Origin

Inherited from Middle English perle, from Old French perle of uncertain etymology. Probably via unattested Medieval Latin *pernula, from Latin perna (“haunch; a marine bivalve shaped like a leg of lamb”) but also derived from Medieval Latin perla, from Latin perula (“little bag”). Its typographic use follows the name given by Jean Jannon to the type used in his miniature editions of Vergil, Horace, & the New Testament in the 1620s, which were the smallest printed works to his time. Its surfing use derives from the supposed resemblance to pearl diving.

Phrases

  • banded pearl
  • baroque pearl
  • bath pearl
  • Blue Pearl of Morocco
  • cave pearl
  • coconut pearl
  • cultured pearl Terms derived from the noun "pearl"
  • epithelial pearl
  • freshwater pearl mussel
  • mabe pearl Terms derived from the noun "pearl"
  • pearl ash Terms derived from the noun "pearl"
  • pearl barley Terms derived from the noun "pearl"

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.