porcelain

1 of 2

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 

porcelaneous

2 of 2

adjective

por·​ce·​la·​neous

variants or porcellaneous

¦⸗sə¦lānēəs 

: of, relating to, or resembling porcelain

porcelaneous shells

porcelaneous glass

Examples of porcelain in a Sentence

Noun

The bowl is made of porcelain.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But the city is looking to add to its porcelain fleet this summer. — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 22 June 2026

The stones are light and porous but surprisingly effective at removing stains without scratching delicate porcelain surfaces like toilets, bathtubs, sinks, and more, thanks to their gentle yet abrasive material. — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 20 June 2026

But Adams is bounding around the rooftop beaming, teeth porcelain-white, face slathered in makeup, hair firmly coiffed. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 18 June 2026

But so can characters pushing the knickknack/plaything boundary, like porcelain figurines and piggy banks. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Adjective

Italian porcellana porcelain + English -eous

First Known Use

Noun

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