http://ersatz-read.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] ersatz-read.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] 1word1day2015-12-21 12:14 pm

Monday word: nacreous

nacreous (ˈneɪkrɪəs), adj.
1. Consisting of or resembling mother-of-pearl
2. Iridescent or opalescent.

Etymology:  nacre is another word for mother-of-pearl, the iridescent inner layer of some mollusk shells.  'Nacre' appears to come from French.

When I was young, I would spend every summer day in the woods by the river, often collecting shells.  A particularly nacreous shell was nice, but even better was to find two halves that fit together:  I'd take those home, with plans of turning them into fancy boxes.  Mom was very tolerant of me repeatedly surrounding the bathroom sink with freshly-scrubbed shells and rocks.

Post a comment in response:

This account has disabled anonymous posting.
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting