Opal vs Pearl - What's the difference?
opal | pearl |
(mineralogy) A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity, of the chemical formula Si]]O2· n[[water, H2O.
* {{quote-magazine, date=2012-03
, author=Lee A. Groat
, title=Gemstones
, volume=100, issue=2, page=128
, magazine=(American Scientist)
(biology, genetics, biochemistry) A colloquial name used in molecular biology referring to a particular stop codon sequence, "UGA."
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. Round lustrous pearls are used in jewellery.
(figuratively) Something precious.
* Shakespeare
* 1920 , (Herman Cyril McNeile), Bulldog Drummond Chapter 1
A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing liquid for e.g. medicinal application.
Nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
A whitish speck or film on the eye.
A fish allied to the turbot; the brill.
A light-colored tern.
One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer's antler.
(typography) Five-point size of type, between agate and diamond.
A fringe or border.
To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. Used also figuratively.
To cause to resemble pearls; to make into small round grains; as, to pearl barley.
To resemble pearl or pearls.
To give or hunt for pearls; as, to go pearling.
(surfing) to dig the nose of one's surfboard into the water, often on takeoff.
* 1999, Joanne VanMeter [http://www.letsplay.net/archive99/020399.shtml]:
As nouns the difference between opal and pearl
is that opal is a mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity, of the chemical formula SiO2·nH2O while pearl is 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. Round lustrous pearls are used in jewellery.As proper nouns the difference between opal and pearl
is that opal is {{given name|female|from=English}} from the precious stone, invented in the nineteenth century while Pearl is {{given name|female|from=English}} from the English noun pearl.As a verb pearl is
to set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. Used also figuratively.opal
English
(wikipedia opal)Noun
(en noun)citation, passage=Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] . (Common gem materials not addressed in this article include amber, amethyst, chalcedony, garnet, lazurite, malachite, opals , peridot, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, turquoise and zircon.)}}
Derived terms
* fire opal * wood opal * opaline * opalesceReferences
Anagrams
* ----pearl
English
(wikipedia pearl)Noun
(en noun)- I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's pearl .
- Hugh helped himself to bacon. "My dear fellow, she can think what she likes so long as she continues to grill bacon like this. Your wife is a treasure, James—a pearl amongst women; and you can tell her so with my love."
- (Milton)
Verb
(en verb)- Used a pointed tip today and learned why I kept pearling with my round tipped board. Round noses like to dig into the water, causing frustrating wipeouts.