Pearlescent

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /pəːˈlɛsənt/

Definitions

1. Having a lustrous quality that shimmers with shifting colors like those found on the surface of a pearl
2. Displaying a shimmering luster that varies in color and resembles the surface of a pearl
3. Exhibiting a unique shimmering effect with variable colors that mimics the iridescent surface of a pearl

Etymology: Pearl comes from Old French "perle," and the "-escent" ending, from Latin "-escens," means "becoming" or "beginning to be," as in "effervescent" or "luminescent." Put together, "pearlescent" describes a surface that is in the process of taking on the look of a pearl, which is a fitting name for a material that seems to shift colour as you tilt it. The adjective first appears in print in 1926. That was a period when manufacturers were learning to imitate natural pearl sheen, most famously with powders made from fish scales, and the word arrived to describe that effect in paints, cosmetics and fabrics.

Synonyms: iridescent, luminous, shimmering, glossy, opalescent

Antonyms: dull, matte, flat, opaque, non-luminous