Definition

Noun: 1. Mother-of-pearl: The hard, iridescent, pearly internal layer found in the shells of certain mollusks, especially some large sea snails. This material is valued for its beauty and is used in decoration and jewelry. 2. A type of large sea snail: A specific kind of large marine gastropod (sea snail) with a thick shell that contains this beautiful mother-of-pearl layer.

Usage Examples

• As a material (mother-of-pearl):

  • Chiếc hộp được khảm ốc xà cừ lấp lánh. (The box is inlaid with shimmering mother-of-pearl.)
  • Các nút áo làm bằng ốc xà cừ trông rất tinh xảo. (The buttons made from mother-of-pearl look very exquisite.)

• As the mollusk itself:

  • Ngư dân đã bắt được một con ốc xà cừ rất lớn. (The fisherman caught a very large mother-of-pearl snail.)
  • Vùng biển này có nhiều ốc xà cừ sinh sống. (This sea area has many mother-of-pearl snails living.)

Advanced Usage

• In cultural or artistic contexts: "Ốc xà cừ" often refers to the material used in traditional Vietnamese crafts such as lacquerware (sơn mài), inlay work (khảm), and jewelry.
  • Nghề khảm ốc xà cừ là một nghề thủ công truyền thống. (The craft of mother-of-pearl inlay is a traditional handicraft.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xà cừ (noun): This term can sometimes be used alone to mean "mother-of-pearl," especially when referring to the material's iridescent quality. "Ốc xà cừ" specifies the source (the snail).
• Ngọc trai (noun): Pearl. While both come from mollusks, a pearl is a gemstone formation, whereas "ốc xà cừ" is the shell lining.
• Vỏ ốc xà cừ (noun phrase): The shell of the mother-of-pearl snail.

Synonyms

• Mother of pearl (English equivalent): The standard direct translation for the material.
• Nacre (English technical term): The scientific/technical name for mother-of-pearl.

Related Phrases

• Khảm ốc xà cừ (verb phrase): To inlay with mother-of-pearl.
  • Bức tranh được khảm ốc xà cừ tỉ mỉ. (The picture is meticulously inlaid with mother-of-pearl.)
• Đồ thủ công mỹ nghệ từ ốc xà cừ (noun phrase): Handicraft items made from mother-of-pearl.

noun

1. mother of pearl