mother-of-pearl
mother-of-pearl — noun
1. The shiny, rainbow-coloured material that lines the inside of the shells of oyst
The shiny, rainbow-coloured material that lines the inside of the shells of oysters and similar sea animals, valued for its beauty and used in jewellery, buttons, and decorative objects.
Mei-Lin wore a pair of earrings made from polished mother-of-pearl to the wedding.
collocation: made from / made of mother-of-pearl
The jewellery box lid had delicate mother-of-pearl patterns that caught the light.
Fishermen on the island sell the mother-of-pearl lining from shells to local markets.
Hao bought a comb with a mother-of-pearl handle at the flea market for his mother.
- nacre
the scientific or technical term for mother-of-pearl; rarely used in everyday conversation.
用法筆記
Mother-of-pearl is an uncountable noun; do not say 'a mother-of-pearl'. Use 'mother-of-pearl + noun' as a modifier (e.g., mother-of-pearl button, mother-of-pearl inlay).