opaline

O1P3A1L1I1N1E1

adjective

Resembling opal in having a milky white iridescence.

“The attack on a sea hare by a spiny lobster causes release of the whitish opaline, followed the co-release of both opaline and ink.”

Similar
opalesqueopalishopal glassiridescentnacreousopalescentpearlescentbright
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

adjectiveopaline (comparative more opaline, superlative most opaline)

comparative more opaline · superlative most opaline

  1. Resembling opal in having a milky white iridescence.

    She was so alive that night, opaline points in her eyes, mouth parted to bare her teeth.

    2023, C Pam Zhang, Land of Milk and Honey, Hutchinson Heinemann, page 134

    Synonyms: opalesque, opalish

nounopaline (countable and uncountable, plural opalines)

plural opalines

  1. countableuncountableA clear to white liquid secreted by sea hares (genus Aplysia) that becomes viscous upon contact with water.

    The attack on a sea hare by a spiny lobster causes release of the whitish opaline, followed the co-release of both opaline and ink.

  2. countableuncountablechemistryAny of several minerals resembling opal, including a variety of yellow chalcedony.
  3. countableuncountableSynonym of opal glass.

    Synonyms: opal glass

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveResembling opal in having a milky white iridescence.

Similar
opalesqueopalish

nounSynonym of opal glass.

Similar
opal glass

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivehaving a play of lustrous rainbow colors

Similar
iridescentnacreousopalescentpearlescentbright
Also see
iridescentnacreousopalescentopalesqueopalishpearlescent

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From opal + -ine.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian опалин
  • опалин (opalin)resembling opal in its iridescence
Catalan opalí
  • opalíresembling opal in its iridescence
Finnish opaliini
  • opaliiniresembling opal in its iridescence
Irish ópalach
  • ópalachresembling opal in its iridescence
Italian opalino
  • opalinoresembling opal in its iridescence
Portuguese opalino
  • opalinoresembling opal in its iridescence

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Neapoli
Cite this entry
APA

opaline. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opaline

MLA

“opaline.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opaline. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “opaline,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opaline.

Source: opaline on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.