WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
pel•li•cle
(pel′i kəl),USA pronunciation n.
pel•lic•u•lar
(pə lik′yə lər),USA pronunciation pel•lic•u•late
(pə lik′yə lit, -lāt′),USA pronunciation adj.
- a thin skin or membrane; film;
scum. - Photographya thin, partially reflective coating, as on a beam splitter or pellicle mirror.
- Latin pellicul(a), equivalent. to pelli(s) skin + -cula -cle1
- 1535–45
'pellicle' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):