opalescent
adjective
Showing varying colors like an opal; having a milky iridescence; exhibiting a play of colors.
Etymology
From Latin opalus (opal) + -escent (beginning to be), describing the characteristic shimmer of opals.
Examples in Use
- 1.
"The opalescent glass caught the light beautifully."
- 2.
"Her opalescent nail polish shifted between pink and blue."
- 3.
"The jellyfish had an opalescent quality in the water."
Related Vocabulary
Synonyms
Related Words
Fun Fact
Opals get their opalescence from tiny silica spheres that diffract light into spectral colors. Australian opals contain up to 10% water, which can evaporate and crack the stone.
Word Game Tips
Letters: 10 letters (O, P, A, L, E, S, C, E, N, T)
Scrabble Value: 14 points
Tip: The letter pattern in "OPALESCENT" appears in many related words.
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