pearl
from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
pearl
n 1: a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a
clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
2: a shade of white the color of bleached bones [syn: {bone},
{ivory}, {pearl}, {off-white}]
3: a shape that is spherical and small; "he studied the shapes
of low-viscosity drops"; "beads of sweat on his forehead"
[syn: {drop}, {bead}, {pearl}]
v 1: gather pearls, from oysters in the ocean
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Pearl \Pearl\, n. [OE. perle, F. perle, LL. perla, perula,
probably fr. (assumed) L. pirulo, dim. of L. pirum a pear.
See {Pear}, and cf. {Purl} to mantle.]
1. (Zool.) A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a
brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle,
or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve
mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river
mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually
due to a secretion of shelly substance around some
irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as
nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
Note: Pearls which are round, or nearly round, and of fine
luster, are highly esteemed as jewels, and at one time
compared in value with the precious stones. Since
development of cultured pearls, the relative value has
diminished somewhat, though the best pearls are still
expensive, and natural pearls even more so. Artificial
pearls may be made of various materials, including
material similar to that of natural pearls; these are
less expensive than natural or cultured pearls. See
{cultured pearl}, below.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
2. Hence, figuratively, something resembling a pearl;
something very precious.
[1913 Webster]
I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's pearl.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
And those pearls of dew she wears. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
3. Nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
[1913 Webster]
4. (Zool.) A fish allied to the turbot; the brill.
[1913 Webster]
5. (Zool.) A light-colored tern.
[1913 Webster]
6. (Zool.) One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur
on a deer's antler.
[1913 Webster]
7. A whitish speck or film on the eye. [Obs.] --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
8. A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing some
liquid for medicinal application, as ether.
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9. (Print.) A size of type, between agate and diamond.
[1913 Webster] [hand] This line is printed in the type
called pearl.
[1913 Webster]
{Ground pearl}. (Zool.) See under {Ground}.
{Pearl barley}, kernels of barley, ground so as to form
small, round grains.
{Pearl diver}, one who dives for pearl oysters.
{Pearl edge}, an edge of small loops on the side of some
kinds of ribbon; also, a narrow kind of thread edging to
be sewed on lace.
{Pearl eye}, cataract. [R.]
{Pearl gray}, a very pale and delicate blue-gray color.
{Pearl millet}, Egyptian millet ({Penicillaria spicata}).
{Pearl moss}. See {Carrageen}.
{Pearl moth} (Zool.), any moth of the genus {Margaritia}; --
so called on account of its pearly color.
{Pearl oyster} (Zool.), any one of several species of large
tropical marine bivalve mollusks of the genus
{Meleagrina}, or {Margaritifera}, found in the East Indies
(especially at Ceylon), in the Persian Gulf, on the coast
of Australia, and on the Pacific coast of America. Called
also {pearl shell}, and {pearl mussel}.
{Pearl powder}. See {Pearl white}, below.
{Pearl sago}, sago in the form of small pearly grains.
{Pearl sinter} (Min.), fiorite.
{Pearl spar} (Min.), a crystallized variety of dolomite,
having a pearly luster.
{Pearl white}.
(a) Basic bismuth nitrate, or bismuth subchloride; -- used
chiefly as a cosmetic.
(b) A variety of white lead blued with indigo or Berlin
blue.
{cultured pearl}, a pearl grown by a pearl oyster into which
a round pellet has been placed, to serve as the seed for
more predictable growth of the pearl. The pellet is
usually made from mother-of-pearl, and additional layers
of nacre are deposited onto the seed by the oyster. Such
pearls, being more easily obtained than natural pearls
from wild oysters, are less expensive.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
PEARL
1. <language, mathematics> A language for {constructive
mathematics} developed by Constable at {Cornell University} in
the 1980s.
2. <language, real-time> {Process and Experiment Automation
Real-Time Language}.
3. <language, education> One of five pedagogical languages
based on {Markov} {algorithms}, used in "Nonpareil, a Machine
Level Machine Independent Language for the Study of
Semantics", B. Higman, ULICS Intl Report No ICSI 170, U London
(1968). Compare {Brilliant}, {Diamond}, {Nonpareil}, {Ruby}.
4. <language> A multilevel language developed by Brian Randell
ca 1970 and mentioned in "Machine Oriented Higher Level
Languages", W. van der Poel, N-H 1974.
5. <language, tool, history> An obsolete term for {Larry
Wall}'s {PERL} programming language, which never fell into
common usage other than in typographical errors. The missing
'a' remains as an atrophied remnant in the expansion
"Practical Extraction and Report Language".
["Programming Perl", Larry Wall and Randal L. Schwartz,
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. Sebastopol, CA. ISBN
0-93715-64-1].
(2000-08-16)
from
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Pearl
(Heb. gabish, Job 28:18; Gr. margarites, Matt. 7:6; 13:46; Rev.
21:21). The pearl oyster is found in the Persian Gulf and the
Red Sea. Its shell is the "mother of pearl," which is of great
value for ornamental purposes (1 Tim. 2:9; Rev. 17:4). Each
shell contains eight or ten pearls of various sizes.
from
U.S. Gazetteer (1990)
Pearl, IL (village, FIPS 58343)
Location: 39.45856 N, 90.62431 W
Population (1990): 177 (118 housing units)
Area: 3.9 sq km (land), 0.2 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 62361
Pearl, MS (city, FIPS 55760)
Location: 32.27183 N, 90.10518 W
Population (1990): 19588 (7658 housing units)
Area: 44.4 sq km (land), 0.6 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 39208
from
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)
Pearl, IL -- U.S. village in Illinois
Population (2000): 187
Housing Units (2000): 96
Land area (2000): 1.506776 sq. miles (3.902531 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.086843 sq. miles (0.224922 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 1.593619 sq. miles (4.127453 sq. km)
FIPS code: 58343
Located within: Illinois (IL), FIPS 17
Location: 39.458611 N, 90.624433 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 62361
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Pearl, IL
Pearl
from
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)
Pearl, MS -- U.S. city in Mississippi
Population (2000): 21961
Housing Units (2000): 9128
Land area (2000): 21.832393 sq. miles (56.545635 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.216072 sq. miles (0.559625 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 22.048465 sq. miles (57.105260 sq. km)
FIPS code: 55760
Located within: Mississippi (MS), FIPS 28
Location: 32.271979 N, 90.105266 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 39208
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Pearl, MS
Pearl
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
134 Moby Thesaurus words for "pearl":
Quaker-colored, acceptable person, acier, alabaster, alabastrine,
albescent, ashen, ashy, bead, boast, canescent, capital fellow,
catch, chalk, cinereous, cinerous, cream, creamy, dapple,
dapple-gray, dappled, dappled-gray, dewdrop, diamond, dingy,
dismal, dove-colored, dove-gray, dreary, driven snow, drop,
droplet, dull, dun-white, dusty, eggshell, fair, find, fleece,
flour, flower, foam, gem, gentleman, glaucescent, glaucous,
godsend, good fellow, good lot, good man, good person, good sort,
good thing, good woman, gray, gray-black, gray-brown, gray-colored,
gray-drab, gray-green, gray-spotted, gray-toned, gray-white,
grayed, grayish, griseous, grizzle, grizzled, grizzly, honest man,
iron-gray, ivory, ivory-white, jewel, lady, lead-gray, leaden,
light, lily, lint-white, livid, maggot, mensch, milk,
mouse-colored, mouse-gray, mousy, nonpareil, off-white, pale,
paper, pearl-gray, pearly, pearly-white, perfect gentleman,
perfect lady, persona grata, plum, pride, pride and joy, prince,
prize, raindrop, real man, right sort, rough diamond, sad, sheet,
silver, silver-gray, silvered, silvery, slate-colored, slaty,
smoke-gray, smoky, snow, sober, somber, steel-gray, steely,
stone-colored, swan, taupe, teardrop, treasure, trophy, trouvaille,
whitish, whity, windfall, winner, wonder, worthy
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