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  1. nacre love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. See mother-of-pearl.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. Mother-of-pearl. Nacre of commercial value is obtained from many sources, as the top-shells (Turbinidæ). tower-shells (Trochidæ), earshells (Haliotidæ), river-mussels (Unionidæ), pearl-oyster shells (Aviculidæ), etc.
  2. Having an iridescence resembling that of mother-of-pearl; nacreous: a French word applied in English to decorative objects: as, nacré porcelain.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. (Zoöl.) A pearly substance which lines the interior of many shells, and is most perfect in the mother-of-pearl.
  2. adj. (Art) Having the peculiar iridescence of nacre, or mother-of-pearl, or an iridescence resembling it.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. the iridescent internal layer of a mollusk shell

Etymologies

  1. From Middle French nacre, from Late Latin nacchara, perhaps from Arabic نقر (naqqāra). (Wiktionary)
  2. French, from Old French nacle, from Old Italian naccaro, drum, nacre, from Arabic naqqāra, small drum, from naqara, to bore, pierce; see nqr in Semitic roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

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  • mollusque As history unveiled itself in the new order, man's mind had behaved like a young pearl oyster, secreting its universe to suit its conditions until it had built up a shell of nacre that embodied all its notions of the perfect.
    The Education of Henry Adams, 1906
    Nov 8, 2007

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‘nacre’ has been looked up 2683 times, loved by 7 people, added to 52 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 7.