porcelain

noun

por·​ce·​lain ˈpȯr-s(ə-)lən 

1

: a hard, fine-grained, sonorous, nonporous, and usually translucent and white ceramic ware that consists essentially of kaolin, quartz, and a feldspathic rock and is fired at a high temperature

called also hard-paste porcelain, true porcelain

2

: soft-paste porcelain

porcelainlike

ˈpȯr-s(ə-)lən-ˌlīk 

adjective

porcelaneous adjective

or porcellaneous

ˌpȯr-sə-ˈlā-nē-əs 

Examples of porcelain in a Sentence

The bowl is made of porcelain.

Recent Examples on the Web

Plastic, white porcelain, and glass aren't the only non-porous surfaces that can handle bleach. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 13 July 2025

Plus How to Install One to Support Pollinators 10 Plants to Grow with Zinnias for a Pollinator Friendly Garden Bee Cups: A Pollination Innovation Among the innovations gaining attention are Bee Cups: Handmade mini porcelain containers that hold a teaspoon of water for pollinators. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2025

Floral Charger $220 Cabana Designed by Cabana and made by heritage Italian porcelain house Ginori 1735, the painterly motif on this plate adds an element of rustic Italian charm to the table. —Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 18 June 2025

The capsule continues to foreground the use of regionally characteristic materials such as jade, cinnabar, porcelain, and Asian cultural symbols like 玄武 (the Black Tortoise) and 青龙 (the Azure Dragon). —Gemma A. Williams, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French porcelaine cowrie shell, porcelain, from Italian porcellana, from porcello vulva, literally, little pig, from Latin porcellus, diminutive of porcus pig, vulva; from the shape of the shell — more at farrow

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing porcelain

• hard-paste porcelain
• porcelain enamel
• soft-paste porcelain
• true porcelain

Kids Definition

porcelain

noun

por·​ce·​lain ˈpōr-s(ə-)lən 

ˈpȯr-

: a hard white ceramic ware used especially for dishes and chemical utensils

Medical Definition

porcelain

noun

por·​ce·​lain ˈpōr-s(ə-)lən, ˈpȯr- 

: a hard, fine-grained, nonporous, and usually translucent and white ceramic ware that consists essentially of kaolin, quartz, and feldspar and that has many uses in dentistry