nacre

[ ney-ker ]

noun

1. mother-of-pearl.

nacre

/ ˈneɪkə /

noun

1. the technical name for mother-of-pearl

nacre

/ nā′kər /

1. See mother-of-pearl

Derived Forms

• ˈnacred, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nacre¹

1590–1600; < Medieval Latin nacrum, nacer, variant of nacara < Old Italian naccara kind of drum, nacre < Arabic naqqārah drum

Word History and Origins

Origin of nacre¹

C16: via French from Old Italian naccara, from Arabic naqqārah shell, drum

Example Sentences

A well-known example is nacre, which is used in jewellery because of its iridescent colours.

From Science Daily

The mollusc deposits layers of aragonite and conchiolin, which together form nacre, also know as mother-of-pearl.

From BBC

Dull on the outside, its nacre gleams pearlescent within.

From Seattle Times

Natural materials such as bone, silk and nacre have exceptional properties that many conventional engineering materials lack.

From Nature

A delicate thread of continuity connects these flashes of story, each complete and perfect in and of itself but accreting meaning like nacre on a pearl.

From New York Times