How to pronounce mother-of-pearl
American English pronunciation
muth-er-uv-PURL
- IPA
- /ˌmʌðɚəvˈpɝl/
- Syllables
- muth · er · uv · PURL (4 syllables, stress on the 4th)
Love words? Try a free round: no sign-up, about two minutes. Play free
What mother-of-pearl means
The shiny, rainbow-colored layer inside some shells
In a sentence: The old buttons on Grandma's coat are made of mother-of-pearl.
Where it comes from: It comes from a Latin phrase meaning "mother of pearls," possibly because these shells are where pearls grow.
Can you spot the real meaning? Try one
Loading a word…
Can you spot the real meaning? Play Wordfib
One free round, no sign-up. Wordfib shows a word and four meanings: one real, three fibs.