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.
Mina wore a pearl on a thin gold chain.
文法句型
find a pearl
a pearl necklace
real pearl
用法筆記
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.
For formal dinners, Aunt Mei always chooses pearl over gold.
- jewelry
much broader; it includes gold, silver, stones, and many other materials
文法句型
wear pearl
buy pearl
choose pearl over gold
用法筆記
Used as an uncountable fashion word for pearl jewelry in general. Distinguish from noun/1, which names one pearl itself.
常見錯誤
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.
The market stall sold costume pearls beside a case of real rings.
- 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
文法句型
fake pearl
imitation pearl
glass pearl
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun/1: this sense is for a man-made copy, not a gem that formed inside a shell.
常見錯誤
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.
Nina counted the soft tapioca pearls in her spoon.
文法句型
sugar pearls
tapioca pearls
chocolate pearls
用法筆記
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.
文法句型
a pearl of sweat
a pearl of rain
a pearl of blood
用法筆記
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.
The designer matched pearl curtains with light gray chairs.
- jet black
a strong dark color, opposite in brightness
文法句型
painted in pearl
pearl walls
pearl shoes
用法筆記
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.
Her fan was decorated with mother-of-pearl and painted flowers.
- mother-of-pearl
the usual full name for this shell material
- nacre
a scientific or technical term for the same substance
文法句型
cut mother-of-pearl for buttons
inlaid with mother-of-pearl
made of mother-of-pearl
用法筆記
Usually uncountable and often follows made of, cut from, or inlaid with. The everyday phrase mother-of-pearl names the same material more clearly.
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.
文法句型
water pearled on the glass
sweat pearled on his forehead
rain pearled on the roof
用法筆記
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.
Mia's upper lip pearled with sweat before she walked onto the stage.
文法句型
the mirror pearled
the grass pearled with dew
the bottle pearled in the heat
用法筆記
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.
Under stage lights, the dancer's shoes took on a pearl glow.
- 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
文法句型
a pearl finish
pearl white
a pearl shine
用法筆記
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.
Daniel bought a pearl hairpin set with three seed pearls.
- 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
文法句型
a pearl veil
a pearl belt
a pearl hairpin
用法筆記
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.