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Pearl vs Mother - What's the difference?

pearl | mother |

In figuratively terms the difference between pearl and mother

is that pearl is something precious while mother is any person or entity which performs mothering.

As nouns the difference between pearl and mother

is that 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 while mother is a (human) female who (a) parents a child (b) gives birth to a baby (c) donates a fertilized egg or (d) donates a body cell which has resulted in a clone. Sometimes used in reference to a pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be.

As verbs the difference between pearl and mother

is that pearl is to set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. Used also figuratively while mother is to treat as a mother would be expected to treat her child; to nurture.

As proper nouns the difference between pearl and mother

is that pearl is {{given name|female|from=English}} from the English noun pearl while Mother is one's mother.

pearl

English

(wikipedia pearl)

Noun

(en noun)
  • 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
  • I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's pearl .
  • * 1920 , (Herman Cyril McNeile), Bulldog Drummond Chapter 1
  • 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."
  • 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.
  • (Milton)
  • 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.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • 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]:
  • 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.

    Derived terms

    (Terms derived from the noun "pearl") * cultured pearl * mabe pearl * mother-of-pearl * pearl ash * pearl diver * pearl barley * pearl cotton * pearl essence * pearl gray * pearl millet * pearl necklace * pearl of wisdom * pearl onion * pearl oyster * perlemoen * pearler * pearlescent * pearling * pearly * pearly king * pearly nautilus * pearly queen * pearly whites * seed pearl * sulfur pearl

    Anagrams

    *

    mother

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A (human) female who (a) s a child (b) gives birth to a baby (c) donates a fertilized egg or (d) donates a body cell which has resulted in a clone. Sometimes used in reference to a pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be.
  • I am visiting my mother'''(a) today.'' — ''My sister-in-law has just become a '''mother'''.(b)'' — ''Nutrients and oxygen obtained by the '''mother (c) are conveyed to the fetus.
  • * 1988 , Robert Ferro, Second Son ,
  • He had something of his mother in him, but this was because he realized that in the end only her love was unconditional, and in gratitude he had emulated her.
  • * 1991 , (Susan Faludi), The Undeclared War Against American Women ,
  • The antiabortion iconography in the last decade featured the fetus but never the mother .
  • A female parent of an animal.
  • The lioness was a mother of four cubs.
  • (figuratively) A female ancestor.
  • * 1525 , ,
  • And Ada[Adam] called his wyfe Heua[Eve] because she was the mother of all that lyveth
  • * 1844 , , Fragment on the Church , Volume 1, page 17,
  • But one in the place of God and not God, is as it were a falsehood; it is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived.
  • (figuratively) A source or origin.
  • The Mediterranean was mother to many cultures and languages.
  • * 1606', '', Act 4, Scene 3, '''1866 , George Steevens (editor), ''The Complete Works of William Shakespeare , page 278,
  • Alas, poor country: / Almost afraid to know itself! It cannot / Be call'd our mother , but our grave:
  • * 1844 , , Fragment on the Church , Volume 1, page 17,
  • But one in the place of God and not God, is as it were a falsehood; it is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived.
  • (when followed by a surname) A title of respect for one's mother-in-law.
  • Mother Smith, meet my cousin, Doug Jones.
  • (figuratively) Any elderly woman, especially within a particular community.
  • (figuratively) Any person or entity which performs mothering.
  • * The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. –Judges 5:7, KJV.
  • * Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. –Galatians 4:26, KJV.
  • A film or membrane which is developed on the surface of fermented alcoholic liquids, such as vinegar, wine, etc., and acts as a means of conveying the oxygen of the air to the alcohol and other combustible principles of the liquid, thus leading to their oxidation.
  • The principal piece of an astrolabe, into which the others are fixed.
  • The female superior or head of a religious house; an abbess, etc.
  • (obsolete) Hysterical passion; hysteria.
  • (Shakespeare)
    Synonyms
    * See also * metro-
    Antonyms
    * (with regards to gender) father * (with regards to ancestry) daughter, son, child
    Hypernyms
    * (a female parent) parent
    Coordinate terms
    * (a female parent) father
    Derived terms
    * antimother * be mother * biological mother * birth mother * foster mother * grandmother, great-grandmother * Mother City * Mother Earth * motherfucker * Mothering Sunday * mother-in-law * motherland * motherload * mother lode * Mother's Day * mother-to-be * mother wit * motherwort * refrigerator mother * stepmother * surrogate mother

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To treat as a mother would be expected to treat her child; to nurture.
  • *
  • She had seen fewer years than any of us, but she was of such superb Evehood and simplicity that she mothered us from the beginning.

    References

    * American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company 2003.

    Etymology 2

    Calque of Arabic .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something that is the greatest or most significant of its kind.
  • "The great duel, the mother of all battles has begun." — (Saddam Hussein)

    Etymology 3

    Shortened from (motherfucker)

    Alternative forms

    * mutha

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (euphemistic, coarse, slang) Motherfucker.
  • (euphemistic, colloquial) A striking example.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • Synonyms
    * MF, mofo, motherfucker, mutha

    Statistics

    *

    Etymology 4

    Coined from .

    Alternative forms

    * moth-er

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nonstandard) A cat that catches moths.
  • Usage notes
    Because of the spelling (mother), the alternative hyphenated spelling (moth-er) may be used to avoid ambiguity. 100 English basic words 1000 English basic words