porcelain
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a strong but delicate white ceramic material used for making high-quality dishes and ornaments.
n.a hard, white, translucent ceramic made by firing pure clay at very high temperatures. Uncountable in its material sense.
Simple“The museum has a beautiful collection of ancient Chinese porcelain.”
In context“The artisan explained that the translucent quality of the porcelain was achieved through a precise mixture of kaolin and feldspar fired at extreme heat.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.items like plates, cups, or statues that are made from this white ceramic.
n.individual objects or a collection of items, particularly tableware or art, manufactured from porcelain. Often used as a collective noun.
Simple“We only use the fine porcelain for special family dinners.”
In context“The auction house specialised in eighteenth-century European porcelain, including several rare figurines from the Meissen factory.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to cover a surface with a hard, shiny coating that looks like porcelain.
v.to apply a porcelain enamel coating to a surface, typically metal, for protection or decoration.
Simple“The manufacturer decided to porcelain the interior of the oven for easier cleaning.”
In context“Industrial vats are often porcelained to provide a non-reactive surface that can withstand corrosive chemical processes.”
From Middle French porcelaine (“cowrie, wampum; china, chinaware”), from Old Italian porcellana (“cowrie; china, chinaware”), from porcella (“female piglet”) + -ana. The material was so called because of its resemblance to the shell of the cowrie. Why the cowrie was named with a word meaning “piglet” is unclear.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.