Spanish word

nácar

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈnakaɾ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmother-of-pearl

Example

La guitarra tiene incrustaciones de nácar.

The guitar has mother-of-pearl inlays.

Illustration for nácar (mother-of-pearl)

More examples

Los botones de nácar brillan en la camisa.

The mother-of-pearl buttons on the shirt shine.

Core concept

Pearly inner shell lining.

Common phrases

  • incrustaciones de nácar

    mother-of-pearl inlays

  • botones de nácar

    mother-of-pearl buttons

Similar words

madreperla: Iridescent inner layer on shells, often worked into ornamental pieces.
perla: Small round lustrous gem produced inside mollusk shells and worn as jewelry.

Definition in Spanish

Sustancia dura y brillante que recubre el interior de algunas conchas y que se emplea en joyería e incrustaciones por su brillo y color.

Word origin

The Spanish word comes from French nacre, which ultimately derives from Provençal and other Mediterranean Romance words for the pearly coating inside shells.

Usage tips

  • Spanish uses nácar for the material and the adjective nacarado/a for a pearly finish, and common collocations include incrustaciones de nácar and con nácar.

Related words

  • nacaradonacreousadjective

Word lists with this word