The hard, iridescent, pearly internal layer of several kinds of shells, esp. of pearl oysters, river mussels, and the abalone shells; nacre. See Pearl. [1913 Webster]

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ROGET THESAURUS

mother-of-pearl

Semitransparency

N semitransparency, translucency, semiopacity, opalescence, milkiness, pearliness, gauze, muslin, film, mica, mother-of-pearl, nacre, mist, opal, turbidity, Adj, semitransparent, translucent, semipellucid, semidiaphanous, semiopacous, semiopaque, opalescent, opaline, pearly, milky, frosted, nacreous, semitransparent, translucent, semipellucid, semidiaphanous, semiopacous, semiopaque, opalescent, opaline, pearly, milky, frosted, nacreous, V, opalesce, (ii) SPECIFIC LIGHT.

Variegation

N variegation, colors, dichroism, trichroism, iridescence, play of colors, polychrome, maculation, spottiness, striae, spectrum, rainbow, iris, tulip, peacock, chameleon, butterfly, tortoise shell, mackerel, mackerel sky, zebra, leopard, cheetah, nacre, ocelot, ophite, mother-of-pearl, opal, marble, check, plaid, tartan, patchwork, marquetry-, parquetry, mosaic, tesserae, strigae, chessboard, checkers, chequers, harlequin, Joseph's coat, tricolor, variegated, many-colored, many-hued, divers-colored, party- colored, dichromatic, polychromatic, bicolor, tricolor, versicolor, of all the colors of the rainbow, of all manner of colors, kaleidoscopic, iridescent, opaline, opalescent, prismatic, nacreous, pearly, shot, gorge de pigeon, chatoyant, irisated, pavonine, pied, piebald, motley, mottled, marbled, pepper and salt, paned, dappled, clouded, cymophanous, mosaic, tesselated, plaid, tortoise shell, spotted, spotty, punctated, powdered, speckled, freckled, flea-bitten, studded, flecked, fleckered, striated, barred, veined, brinded, brindled, tabby, watered, grizzled, listed, embroidered, daedal, naevose, stipiform, strigose, striolate, (iii) PERCEPTIONS OF LIGHT.

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