1. n. & v.
--n.
1. a (often attrib.) a usu. white or bluish-grey hard mass formed within the shell of a pearl-oyster or other bivalve mollusc, highly prized as a gem for its lustre (pearl necklace). b an imitation of this. c (in pl.) a necklace of pearls. d mother-of-pearl (cf. seed-pearl).
2 a precious thing; the finest example.
3 anything resembling a pearl, e.g. a dewdrop, tear, etc.
--v.
1. tr. poet. a sprinkle with pearly drops. b make pearly in colour etc.
2 tr. reduce (barley etc.) to small rounded grains.
3 intr. fish for pearl-oysters.
4 intr. poet. form pearl-like drops.
Phrases and idioms:
cast pearls before swine offer a treasure to a person unable to appreciate it. pearl ash commercial potassium carbonate. pearl barley barley reduced to small round grains by grinding. pearl bulb a translucent electric light bulb. pearl button a button made of mother-of-pearl or an imitation of it. pearl-diver a person who dives for pearl-oysters. pearl millet a tall cereal, Pennisetum typhoides. pearl onion a very small onion used in pickles. pearl-oyster any of various marine bivalve molluscs of the genus Pinctada, bearing pearls.
Derivatives:
pearler n.
Etymology: ME f. OF perle prob. f. L perna leg (applied to leg-of-mutton-shaped bivalve) 2. n. Brit. PICOT.
Etymology: var. of PURL(1)