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Porcelain

Noun CEFR C2 Specialized
ˈpɔːsəlɪn

Definitions

  1. A hard white translucent ceramic, originally made by firing kaolin, quartz, and feldspar at high temperatures but now also inclusive of similar artificial materials; also often (figurative) such a material as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.
  2. Synonym of china: porcelain tableware.
  3. Synonym of kaolin: the kind of clay traditionally used in China to manufacture porcelain.
  4. An object made of porcelain, (particularly) art objects or items of tableware.
    countable, plural-normally
  5. Synonym of cowrie.
  6. Synonym of wampum: strings of shells, beads, etc. used as ornamentation or currency; the composite shells, beads, etc.
  7. A kind of pigeon with deep brown and off-white feathers.

Equivalents

42 more languages
العربيةالخزفخزف
Azərbaycan diliçini
Bosanskičinilozaporcelansu
Catalàporcellana
Esperantoporcelano
فارسیچینی
Galegolouza
Hrvatskičinilozaporcelansu
Magyarporcelán
Հայերենճենապակի
Bahasa Indonesiaporselentembikar
Íslenskapostulín
Italianoporcellana
ქართულიფაიფური
Қазақ тілікәрлен
Македонскипорцелан
Bahasa Melayuporselin
Nederlandsporselein
Portuguêsporcelana
Românăporțelan
Русскийфарфор
Slovenčinaporcelán
Slovenščinaporcelan
Српскиčinilozaporcelansu
Svenskaporslin
Тоҷикӣфағфур
Türkçeporselen
Українськафарфор
Tiếng ViệtSu

Examples

Tableware and toilets are both made of porcelain.”
Any power rail needs to be well insulated from earth, to minimise current leakage, and so the two power rails on the Underground sit on curiously genteel and antique-looking porcelain pots.”
“iij. potts of Erthe payntid, callyd Porseland.”
“He set the table with our porcelain and stemware.”
“[...] that earthen or pliable matter commonly called porcellan, which is pure white,... wherof vessels of all kinds are very curiously framed...”
The museum has an extensive collection of rare Chinese porcelains.”
“In the kingdomes of Caiacan and Carazan, certaine sea shels are currant, which some men terme Porcelline.”
“We mett severall gangs of men to our greatest disadvantage, ffor we weare forced to sing, and those that came to see us gave porcelaine to those that most did us injury.”
Those pretty spangled Toys [...] known by various names, as Porcelains, Hyacinths, Ermines, &c.”

CEFR level

C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
See all C2 English words →

See also

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