pearl

Everyday

1. A small hard shiny round thing, white or cream, that grows inside an oyster or some other shellfish and is used in jewellery. tree →
2. A very precious or excellent thing or person: a pearl of a book. tree →
3. A pale shiny white colour. tree →
4. «Pearls of wisdom»: wise sayings (often said as a joke). tree →

In the lessons

In science, a pearl forms when a grain of sand or another irritant gets inside an oyster and it covers it with layers of shiny nacre. In stories pearls are treasure. In maths problems pearls are counted on necklaces. Phrases: string of pearls, pearly white teeth, pearls of wisdom.

Examples

• Grandma wears a string of pearls. tree →
• A pearl grows slowly inside an oyster. tree →
• Divers searched the sea bed for pearls. tree →
• Her teeth were pearly white. tree →
• He shared his pearls of wisdom about football. tree →
• A necklace has 48 pearls; if 6 fall off, 42 are left. tree →
• The pirate's chest was full of gold and pearls. tree →
• What had become of those wonderful pearls? tree →

Note

Homophone trap: purl (a knitting stitch). Not all pearls are natural; most are farmed (cultured). Adjective: pearly. «Pearl» in a name: Pearl Harbor.