- a hard iridescent substance, mostly calcium carbonate, that forms the inner layer of the shells of certain molluscs, such as the oyster. It is used to make buttons, inlay furniture, etcAlso called: nacre
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈmoth•er-of-ˈpearl,
n. [uncountable]
adj. [before a noun]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Jewelrya hard, shiny substance that forms the inner layer of certain shells, used for making buttons, beads, etc.
adj. [before a noun]
- Jewelrymade of or resembling mother-of-pearl.
moth•er-of-pearl
(muᵺ′ər əv pûrl′),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
- Jewelrya hard, iridescent substance that forms the inner layer of certain mollusk shells, used for making buttons, beads, etc.;
nacre.
adj.
- Jewelryof or having the qualities of mother-of-pearl, as being iridescent or pearly:mother-of-pearl buttons.
- compare Italian madreperla, obsolete French mère perle 1500–10
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
mother-of-pearl n
'mother-of-pearl' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
mussel
- nacre
- nacreous
- pearl
- pearly
- perlemoen
- abalone
- conchiolin
- margaritaceous
- mother-of-pearl cloud
- mother-of-pearl glass
- nacreous cloud
- pearlized
- satin glass