Pronunciation: ' po ̇ r-s( ə -)l ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French porcelaine cowrie shell, porcelain, from Italian porcellana, from porcello vulva, literally, little pig, from Latin porcellus, diminutive of porcus pig, vulva; from the shape of the shell ― more at FARROW
Date: circa 1530
1 : a hard, fine-grained, sonorous, nonporous, and usually translucent and white ceramic ware that consists essentially of kaolin, quartz, and a feldspathic rock and is fired at a high temperature ― called also hard-paste porcelain true porcelain
2 : SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN
– por · ce · lain · like \ - ˌ l ī k \ adjective
– por · ce · la · ne · ous or por · cel · la · ne · ous \ ˌ po ̇ r-s ə - ' l ā -n ē - ə s \ adjective