Porcelain

Pronunciation

Origin

From Middle French porcelaine ("cowrie, chinaware"), from Old Italian porcellana ("cowrie, chinaware"), from porcella ("the mussel and cockle shells which painters put their pigments") from porco ("pig") with -ella ("-y").

Noun

1. (usually uncountable) A hard, white, translucent ceramic that is made by firing kaolin and other materials; china.
2. (usually countable) Anything manufactured from this material..

Derived terms

• ivory porcelain
• porcelain clay
• porcelain crab
• porcelain jasper
• porcelain printing
• porcelain shell
• porcelaneous