nacreous, a.
(ˈneɪkriːəs)
[f. nacre + -ous.]
1. Consisting of or resembling nacre in substance.
| 1836–41 Brande Chem. 791 When heated, these crystals fuse,..and, at a red heat, sublime, yielding nacreous scales. 1851 Woodward Mollusca iv. 38 The nacreous shells are formed by alternate layers of very thin membrane and carbonate of lime. 1875 Blake Zool. 242 The internal or nacreous stratum of a fossil bivalve shell. |
2. Exhibiting the iridescent hues of nacre.
| 1854 Murchison Siluria ix. 196 The nacreous lustre of its interior. 1877 Athenæum 3 Nov. 572/2 A youth reclining on a cliff, contemplating a fan-like, nacreous mass of cloud. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 558 The nacreous aspect is preserved, and the affected area may look brilliantly white. |