to pearl
1
8.7
- verb
- /pɜrl/
- He spent the summer learning how to pearl by diving for oysters along the coast.
Examples
-
The old fisherman taught his grandson to pearl in the shallow waters where they often found treasures.
-
After years of practice, she became skilled enough to pearl in deeper waters without fear.
-
When my banjo flashed mother-of-pearl their way, they made the split-finger sign to ward off the evil eye.
Fiction book (1998)
Compounds
84
3.7
A harbor in Hawaii where a United States navy base was attacked by Japan in 1941
7
6.0
A smooth shiny layer inside some shells that shows rainbow colours and is used for decoration
- Offensive
1
9.9
An exaggerated show of shock or moral anger about something seen as wrong
- Specialized
1
6.5
A very small imperfect round bead made by an oyster and used in jewelry
1
7.0
A place where people collect oysters to get small round shiny things from the sea
1
9.9
A high cloud that looks shiny with rainbow colors around sunrise or after sunset
- Archaic
A white powder made from wood ashes that people used long ago for baking and soap making
- Offensive
Being easily shocked and disapproving of things other people find normal
Surface Forms
Etymology
Pearl as a verb meaning to gather pearls comes from the noun pearl. It simply means to collect those round gems from oysters, which is why people say they 'pearl' when they dive for pearls.