Definition of porcelain
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
From the M-W Editors
Examples of porcelain in a Sentence
The bowl is made of porcelain.
Recent Examples of porcelain from the Web
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Other treasures included an 18th-century German piano, porcelain vases from China and Japan, mirrors and boxes with intricate gold filigree work and ceiling murals depicting Portuguese explorer Vasco De Gama’s journey to India by sea.
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The home’s vintage details include a checkerboard porcelain tile for the backsplash in the kitchen.
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The three-martini lunch was once symbolic of a good-ole-boys culture of the 1960s, where executives would disappear for hours in the middle of a day to hammer out deals over white linen and porcelain plates.
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Shards of the porcelain could still be seen on Friday.
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Items include a vast collection of clay pipes, porcelain doll heads, pocket watches and assorted pottery.
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Carlo described each cup as a canvas for expressing something new, adding that Illy is always exploring advancements in technology to push the boundaries of possibility for porcelain.
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And for handcrafted porcelain tableware (at prices that won’t empty your wallet), there’s the work of sculptor Alix d. Reynis, who designs and carves each piece from her studio-storefront in the North Marais.
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Flowers fill whatever window boxes, vases, and porcelain bowls exist.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'porcelain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of porcelain
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
PORCELAIN Defined for English Language Learners
porcelain
playDefinition of porcelain for English Language Learners
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: a hard, white substance that is very delicate and that is made by baking clay
PORCELAIN Defined for Kids
porcelain
playDefinition of porcelain for Students
: a hard white product of baked clay used especially for dishes, tile, and decorative objects
Medical Dictionary
porcelain
playMedical Definition of porcelain
: 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
Learn More about porcelain
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Spanish Central: Translation of porcelain Nglish: Translation of porcelain for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of porcelain for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about porcelain
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