Pearl

From pearl. As a Chinese river, a translation of Chinese 珠江 (Zhūjiāng, “Pearl River”).

Pearl

1. A female given name
   • 1850 Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, Chapter VI:

     Her Pearl!—For so had Hester called her; not as a name expressive of her aspect, which had nothing of the calm, white, unimpassioned lustre that would be indicated by the comparison. But she named the infant "Pearl," as being of great price,—purchased with all she had,—her mother's only treasure!

   • 1992 Karen Kijewski, Kat's Cradle, page 7:

     "What was your name?"

     "Pearl." Ruby and Pearl, mother and daughter. " It's an ugly name, isn't it?"

     "No, it isn't". And I meant it, it wasn't. "Old-fashioned, perhaps, but nice."

     She stared at me. "Do you know what pearls are? They're ugliness: dirt or sand gets in an oyster and the oyster coats it over so that it won't be irritating."

2. (geography) Various Pearl Rivers, particularly the major river of Guangdong in China.

• APLer, Alper, lepra, paler, parle, repla

From English Pearl, from pearl.

Pearl

1. a female given name

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:Pearl.