Porcelain

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Porcelain \Por"ce*lain\, n. (Bot.)
     Purslain. [Obs.]
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Porcelain \Por"ce*lain\ (277), n. [F. porcelaine, It.
     porcellana, orig., the porcelain shell, or Venus shell
     (Cypr[ae]a porcellana), from a dim. fr. L. porcus pig,
     probably from the resemblance of the shell in shape to a
     pig's back. Porcelain was called after this shell, either on
     account of its smoothness and whiteness, or because it was
     believed to be made from it. See {Pork}.]
     A fine translucent or semitransculent kind of earthenware,
     made first in China and Japan, but now also in Europe and
     America; -- called also {China}, or {China ware}.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Porcelain, by being pure, is apt to break. --Dryden.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Ivory porcelain}, porcelain with a surface like ivory,
        produced by depolishing. See {Depolishing}.
  
     {Porcelain clay}. See under {Clay}.
  
     {Porcelain crab} (Zool.), any crab of the genus {Porcellana}
        and allied genera (family {Porcellanid[ae]}). They have a
        smooth, polished carapace.
  
     {Porcelain jasper}. (Min.) See {Porcelanite}.
  
     {Porcelain printing}, the transferring of an impression of an
        engraving to porcelain.
  
     {Porcelain shell} (Zool.), a cowry.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  porcelain
       n : ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  24 Moby Thesaurus words for "porcelain":
     adobe, biscuit, bisque, bowl, brick, cement, ceramic ware,
     ceramics, china, clay, crock, crockery, enamel, enamelware,
     firebrick, glass, jug, pot, pottery, refractory, tile, tiling, urn,
     vase