porcelain

Etymology

From Middle French porcelaine (“cowrie, chinaware”), from Old Italian porcellana (“cowrie, chinaware”), from porcella (“the mussel and cockle shells which painters put their pigments”) from porco (“pig”) with -ella (“-let”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔɹ.sə.lɪn/, /ˈpɔɹs.lɪn/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔː.sə.lɪn/
• Hyphenation: por‧ce‧lain

Noun

porcelain (countable and uncountable, plural porcelains)

1. (usually uncountable) A hard, white, translucent ceramic that is made by firing kaolin and other materials; china.
2. (usually countable) Anything manufactured from this material.

References

• Krueger, Dennis (December 1982). "Why On Earth Do They Call It Throwing?" Studio Potter Vol. 11, Number 1.