noun
porcelain
PAW-suh-lihn
noun
1
A hard, translucent white ceramic made by firing fine clay at high heat, or objects made from it.
"The museum's collection of antique Chinese porcelain is world-famous."
"She set the table with delicate porcelain teacups."
How to Use Porcelain
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFine, hard, white ceramic, or an object made from it, prized for its delicacy and translucence.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
fine porcelain
porcelain vase
porcelain doll
Word Forms
porcelained past tense, porcelains plural, porcelains singular
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Etymology
From Old Italian porcellana, originally meaning "cowrie shell" — the material was named for its resemblance to the glossy surface of the shell.