pearl

plural pearls

1. A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Round lustrous pearls are used in jewellery.
   1. countableliterallyuncountableNacre; mother-of-pearl.
   2. broadlycountableliterallyuncountableA white color inspired by the shade of pearls.
2. countablefigurativelyuncountableSomething precious.

   I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's pearl.

   c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene viii]

   1 more example

   Hugh helped himself to bacon. "My dear fellow, she can think what she likes so long as she continues to grill bacon like this. Your wife is a treasure, James—a pearl amongst women; and you can tell her so with my love."

   1920, Herman Cyril McNeile, chapter 1, in Bulldog Drummond

3. countableuncountableA capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing liquid for, e.g., medicinal application.
4. countableuncountableA whitish speck or film on the eye.

   Boast not of your eyes; it is feared you have Balaam's disease, a pearl in your eye, Mammon's prestriction.

   1641, John Milton, Animadversions upon The Remonstrants Defence Against Smectymnuus, Section III

5. countableuncountableA fish allied to the turbot; the brill.
6. countableuncountableA light-colored tern.
7. countableuncountableOne of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer's antler.
8. countableuncountableA fringe or border.
9. countablefigurativelyuncountableA valuable little nugget of information; especially, an aphorism or tip that is operationally useful for decision-making.

   clinical pearls

10. countableeuphemisticfigurativelyslanguncountablevulgarThe clitoris.

    My mouth and tongue finally find her pearl. Her clitoris.

    2010, Richard Knight, Simple Fantasies Can Come True, page 10

    1 more example

    Teasing her pearl she shakes in my arms, rolling her eyes and throwing the pussy at me.

    2012, Danie Baly, Born with a Curse: Secret Fantasies

11. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of tapioca pearl.

    When possible, we ordered a classic black milk tea with pearls at about 75% sweetness.

    2026 August 15, Irene Adeline Milanez, “We tasted boba from some of the Bay Area’s most popular chains. Here’s our No. 1”, in San Francisco Chronicle, archived from the original on 16 Aug 2026

12. countableuncountablegovernmentArgent, in blazoning by precious stones.

    (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 Ireland; Or, a Genealogical History of the ..., page 71

    2 more examples

    Errol. Pearl three Escutcheons Ruby. / Elgin. Topaz a Saltier and Chief Ruby, on a Canton Pearl a Lyon Rampant Saphyr, which last is their paternal Coat; and the Field Topaz, and Saltier, and Chief Ruby, was the Arms of King Robert the Bruce, they altering the Field from Pearl (as he bore it) to Topaz.

    1720, Francis Nichols, Rudiments of Honour, page 296

    The Field is Ruby, on a Bend Topaz, three Martlets Diamond. The Armes of the most Noble and Puissant Lord, Edward Brabazon, Earl of Meath, and Baron of Atherdee in the Kingdom of Ireland. His Lordship's Atchievements are Quarterly of sixteen Coats. 1. Brabazon, as above. 2. Diamond, on a Chevron between three Pickaxes Pearl, as many Mullets Ruby, by the Name of Mosley. 3. Saphire, ten Bezants, 4, 3, 2, 1, by the Bisset. 4. Pearl, on a Bend Diamond, nine Annulets conjoined in three Links Topaz.

    1726, John Guillim, The Banner Display'd; Or, an Abridgment of Guillim, page 504

13. dateduncountablemediaThe size of type between diamond and agate, standardized as 5-point.
14. countableobsoleteuncountableA jewel or gem.

    There is gold, and multitude of pearles: but a precious vessel the lips of knowledge.

    1610, The Second Tome of the Holie Bible, […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Doway: Laurence Kellam, […], →OCLC, Prouerbes 20:15

present singular third person pearls · participle present pearling · participle past pearled · past pearled

1. figurativelysometimestransitiveTo set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl.

   Syed Omar began to walk to the airport. Sweat pearled his tough brown skin, his fat bounced in rhythm.

   1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 600

2. transitiveTo cause to resemble pearls in shape; to make into small round grains.

   to pearl barley

3. transitiveTo cause to resemble pearls in lustre or iridescence.

   A Teaching Company Scheme developing new technology for pearling light bulbs was established in October […]

   1993, New Scientist, volume 139, page 62

4. intransitiveTo resemble pearl or pearls.
5. intransitiveTo bead; to form droplets.

   Blood pearled on the blade, its aroma filling the air.

   2011 September 1, Kristen Painter, Blood Rights: House of Comarré: Book 1, Hachette UK, →ISBN

   2 more examples

   I'm left here with the memory of all their shining words, like drops of water pearling on the window-pane

   2007, Angela Patten, Reliquaries, Salmon Publishing, →ISBN, page 5

   The razorlike edges sliced shallow seams through the callouses. The fluid pearled but didn't run, and it stung in the saltwater.

   2022 May 9, Lori Power, Backlash Bounty, The Wild Rose Press Inc, →ISBN

6. intransitiveTo hunt for pearls

   to go pearling

7. intransitivehobbiesTo sink the nose of one's surfboard into the water, often on takeoff.

   Used a pointed tip today and learned why I kept pearling with my round tipped board. Round noses like to dig into the water, causing frustrating wipeouts.

   1999, Joanne VanMeter https://web.archive.org/web/20071027111258/http://www.letsplay.net/archive99/020399.shtml

8. intransitivehobbiesOf the nose of the surfboard: to sink in this manner.

   He couldn't even turn the board or raise the nose. Consequently, the board pearled, nose-dived into the water, throwing Lee off almost like being thrown from a horse. But he persisted.

   2017, Jian, Sh-Boom: The Way of the World

9. intransitivebiologyOf aquatic plants: to produce visible bubbles on the stems and leaves during photosynthesis, usually in a simulated environment like an aquarium.
10. To use an ender pearl to teleport by throwing it.

plural Pearls

1. A unisex given name from English.
   1. countableuncountableA female given name from English.

      Her Pearl!—For so had Hester called her; not as a name expressive of her aspect, which had nothing of the calm, white, unimpassioned lustre that would be indicated by the comparison. But she named the infant "Pearl," as being of great price,—purchased with all she had,—her mother's only treasure!

      1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Chapter VI”, in The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC

      1 more example

      "What was your name?" "Pearl." Ruby and Pearl, mother and daughter. "It's an ugly name, isn't it?" "No, it isn't". And I meant it, it wasn't. "Old-fashioned, perhaps, but nice." She stared at me. "Do you know what pearls are? They're ugliness: dirt or sand gets in an oyster and the oyster coats it over so that it won't be irritating."

      1992, Karen Kijewski, Kat's Cradle, page 7

   2. countablerareuncountableA male given name from English.
2. countableuncountableA surname from English.
3. A placename:
   1. countableuncountableA major river in Guangdong, China; in full, the Pearl River.

      The Pearl is a river system in southern China.

      2021, John Reibetanz, Earth Words: Coversing with Three Sages, →ISBN, →OCLC, page https://books.google.com/books?id=LPcrEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT174

      2 more examples

      The only news of interest brought by the Calcutta and China mail is that the river Pearl, in Southern China, had been explored by a party of the British to the distance of 195 miles.

      1859 April 30, “Review of the Week.”, in The Leader, volume X, number 475, page 547, column 3

      During these ten years the northern province of Chihli, with a population of over 32,000,000, has been inundated thrice; the Huai River running through three central provinces, with people more in number than half those of the United States, overflowed twice; the two provinces of Hunan and Kiangsi, south of the Yangtsze River, likewise densely populated, have also been inundated twice, and Shantung Province, with its teeming millions, has had its territory flooded from the outbreak of the Yellow River; while the southern rivers, the Pearl in Kwangtung Province, the Min in Fukien Province, and other streams have, during the period, more than once contributed their toll of destruction.

      1928 April, M. T. Liang, “Combatting the Famine Dragon”, in News Bulletin, Institute of Pacific Relations, page 9

   2. abbreviationcountableuncountableShort for Pearl River (Etymology 2): a river in Mississippi and Louisiana, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico,
   3. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of Pearl Harbor: a harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, United States, in the Pacific Ocean.