mother-of-pearl

== English == === Etymology === Calque of Latin māter perlārum, with the first element perhaps connected in popular imagination with obsolete mother (“dregs”). Possibly referring to the fact that the nacre-lined shells are the belly (“mother”) in which pearls are produced. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌmʌðəɹ əv ˈpɜː(ɹ)l/ === Noun === mother-of-pearl (countable and uncountable, plural mother-of-pearls) The hard pearly inner layer of certain mollusk shells; nacre. A butterfly of the genus Salamis. A butterfly of the species Patania ruralis. ==== Alternative forms ==== mother of pearl ==== Synonyms ==== nacre ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === mother-of-pearl (not comparable) Made from or looking like mother-of-pearl; iridescent or pearly. === See also === pearl === References === “mother-of-pearl”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN. “mother-of-pearl”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present. "mother-of-pearl" in On-line Medical Dictionary, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1997–2005. "mother-of-pearl" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.