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Glite Dictionary
porcelain

porcelain

58 4.3
A hard white clay people make dishes, cups, and vases from
  • noun
  • /ˈpɔːrslɪn/
translation icon : porcelana
  • Overall, the group has the quality of an elegant porcelain table decoration rather than a garden statue.
  • Chinese porcelain
  • decorative porcelain
  • glazed porcelain

Then he kissed me, as if returning a porcelain Shard to my cheek.

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Examples

  • Some local fishermen were pulling Ming Dynasty porcelain out of the ocean.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Jonah, our first item is a Little Rock porcelain doll.

  • So you can have a, a porcelain cup, just not a paper cup.

  • But l got some porcelain or maybe china ones.

    The Campaign (2012)

  • My next object of affection is European porcelain from around the world.

  • Here are some really beautiful porcelain baking dishes.

  • In the corner behind the women is a shelf displaying Whistler's porcelain collection.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Another small table beside the bed held a mismatched porcelain pitcher and bowl and a candlestick.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Her voice tinkled like gold coins dropped in an antique porcelain bowl, and it was irresistible.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • I had an office, an assistant, and a beautiful porcelain cup for my tea.

Synonyms

china
vsporcelain
76 3.6

Delicate, high-quality dishes made of porcelain for special occasions

is the material itself used to make dishes, vases, and decorative objects
bone china
vsporcelain
2 4.4

Fine white porcelain made with powdered bone that is strong and slightly see-through

is the general hard white translucent ceramic lacking the bone ash additive
Parian
vsporcelain
  • Archaic
9.9

A fine unglazed porcelain made to look like white marble for small statues

is the broad hard white translucent ceramic used for many objects not only figurines

Idioms

like a porcelain doll
  • Informal
1 8.2

Appearing delicate, fragile, and pale like a fine doll

to bow down before the porcelain god
  • Informal
9.9

To vomit into a toilet after drinking too much

to worship the porcelain god
  • Slang
9.9

To throw up after drinking too much alcohol

Compounds

porcelain skin
1 6.1

Smooth pale skin that looks delicate

porcelain clay
  • Specialized
6.7

Fine white clay used to make porcelain and other ceramics

porcelain goddess
  • NSFW
9.9

A toilet joked about when someone vomits or a very beautiful, delicate woman

How Translucent

bone china
2 4.4
porcelain
58 4.3
stoneware
  • Specialized
2 5.1
earthenware
  • Specialized
3 6.6

Surface Forms

porcelain singular
porcelains plural

Etymology

Porcelain comes from the Italian porcellana, the name for a small shiny sea shell called a 'cowrie', because early fine pottery looked smooth and white like that shell. So porcelain now means the hard, white, delicate pottery used for cups and vases.