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pearl 1 (pûrl)
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n.
1.
a. A smooth, lustrous, variously colored mass, chiefly of calcium carbonate, formed around a grain of sand or other foreign matter inside the shell of certain bivalve mollusks and valued as a gem.
b. A bead resembling one of these masses.
2. Something small and spherical in shape: "pearls of sweat beading on her upper lip" (Katherine Min).
3. Mother-of-pearl; nacre.
4. One that is highly regarded for its beauty or value.
5. Printing A type size measuring approximately five points.
6. A yellowish white.
v. pearled, pearl·ing, pearls
v.tr.
1. To decorate or cover with pearls or beads resembling pearls.
2. To make into the shape or color of pearls.
v.intr.
1. To dive or fish for pearls or pearl-bearing mollusks.
2. To form beads resembling pearls.

[Middle English perle, from Old French, from Latin *pernula, diminutive of perna, ham, seashell (from the shape of the shell).]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
pearl 2 (pûrl)
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v. & n.
Variant of purl2.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.