nacre \ˈnā-kər\ noun: the hard pearly iridescent substance forming the inner layer of a mollusk shell; mother-of-pearl
nacreous \ˈnā-krē-əs\ adjective: 1. possessing the qualities of, consisting of, or abounding in nacre, 2. iridescent
Etymology: French, from Middle French, from Old Italian naccara drum, nacre, from Arabic naqqāra drum
How did a word for a drum come to mean mother-of-pearl?
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