a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
"The diver carefully extracted the shimmering pearl from the open oyster, knowing it was worth more than his entire paycheck."
A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Round lustrous pearls are used in jewellery.
"The diver carefully brushed away the sand from the pearl oyster's mantle before lifting out the flawless, white gem that had formed around a tiny grain of grit."
In plain English: A pearl is a shiny, round gemstone that forms inside certain types of oysters.
"She wore a single pearl necklace to the formal dinner."
Usage: A pearl is a naturally formed gem created inside a mollusk when an irritant triggers the secretion of shiny layers. Use this term to describe these round, lustrous objects found in jewelry or nature, rather than using it as a verb meaning to shine brightly.
gather pearls, from oysters in the ocean
"The divers spent hours carefully extracting tiny pearls from the deep-sea oysters they had harvested off the coast of Japan."
To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl.
"The artisan spent hours carefully setting tiny pearls along the edge of the silk scarf to give it a delicate shimmer."
In plain English: To pearl means to cover something with small, shiny beads that look like pearls.
"She decided to pearl her hair with tiny diamonds for the gala."
Usage: Do not use "pearl" as a verb to mean shining brightly or looking expensive; instead, it specifically means to decorate something by setting it with actual pearls or mother-of-pearl. Because this usage is rare and often confused with adjectives like "pearlescent," reserve the verb for contexts explicitly describing jewelry making or ornamental design.
A female given name from English
"Pearl is a classic name that her grandmother always wanted to give her, so they finally chose it when she was born."
The word "pearl" entered English from Old French and likely originated from Latin words meaning either a marine bivalve or a small bag. Its modern typographic sense refers to the tiny typefaces introduced by Jean Jannon in the 1620s for printing miniature editions of classical works.