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

Much of his delicate porcelain features seaglass tones and intricate, cutout designs. —Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025

Choose the right sink material for you There are several common sink materials, including stainless steel, acrylic, granite, quartz, enamel, porcelain, fireclay, soapstone, copper, natural stone, natural quartz and marble. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

The researchers found that the phone-using participants were five times more likely than no-phone poopers to spend more than five minutes perched on the porcelain throne. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025

Aside from looking creepy, sort of a given with all porcelain dolls of a certain age, Annabelle doesn’t do much of anything, and yet that hasn’t stopped her from headlining her own spinoff series and getting mentioned in the same breath as far more dynamic pint-size killers like Chucky and M3gan. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Sep. 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