English
porcelain
Etymology

From Middle French porcelaine, from roa-oit porcellana, from porcella from porco with -ella.

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈpɔːsəlɪn/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈpɔɹsəlɪn/, /ˈpɔɹslɪn/
  • (New Zealand) IPA: /ˈpoːslɘn/
Noun

porcelain

  1. (usually, uncountable) A hard white translucent ceramic, originally made by firing kaolin, quartz, and feldspar at high temperatures but now also inclusive of similar artificial materials; also often (figurative) such a material as a symbol of the fragility, elegance, etc. traditionally associated with porcelain goods.
    Tableware and toilets are both made of porcelain.
  2. (usually, uncountable) Synonym of china: porcelain tableware.
    He set the table with our porcelain and stemware.
  3. (uncountable, obsolete) Synonym of kaolin: the kind of clay traditionally used in China to manufacture porcelain.
  4. (countable, now usually, in the plural) An object made of porcelain, (particularly) art objects or items of tableware.
    The museum has an extensive collection of rare Chinese porcelains.
  5. (countable, rare) Synonym of cowrie.
  6. (countable, obsolete or historic) Synonym of wampum: strings of shells, beads, etc. used as ornamentation or currency; the composite shells, beads, etc.
  7. (countable, often capitalized) A kind of pigeon with deep brown and off-white feathers.
Synonyms Translations Translations Verb

porcelain (porcelains, present participle porcelaining; simple past and past participle porcelained)

  1. (transitive) To coat with a porcelain enamel.


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