— porcelaneous, porcellaneous /pawr'seuh lay"nee euhs, pohr'-/ , adj.
/pawr"seuh lin, pohr"-; pawrs"lin, pohrs"-/ , n.
1. a strong, vitreous, translucent ceramic material, biscuit-fired at a low temperature, the glaze then fired at a very high temperature.
2. ware made from this.
[ 1520-30; porcelaine porcellana orig., a type of cowry shell, appar. likened to the vulva of a sow, n. use of fem. of porcellano of a young sow, equiv. to porcell ( a ), dim. of porca sow (see PORK, -ELLE) + -ano -AN ]