Standard Lemma guide

opaline

adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: OW1 P AH0 L IY2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Resembling opal in having a milky white iridescence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: opalesque, opalish

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A clear to white liquid secreted by sea hares (genus Aplysia) that becomes viscous upon contact with water.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The attack on a sea hare by a spiny lobster causes release of the whitish opaline, followed the co-release of both opaline and ink.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any of several minerals resembling opal, including a variety of yellow chalcedony.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: chemistry, geography, geology, mineralogy, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Synonym of opal glass.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: opal glass

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

having a play of lustrous rainbow colors

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an iridescent oil slick
  • nacreous (or pearlescent) clouds looking like mother-of-pearl
  • a milky opalescent (or opaline) luster

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: iridescent, nacreous, opalescent, pearlescent

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English opal Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. Old French -inbor. Middle English -in English -ine English opaline From opal + -ine.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: опалин (opalin) — resembling opal in its iridescence
  • Catalan: opalí — resembling opal in its iridescence
  • Finnish: opaliini — resembling opal in its iridescence
  • Irish: ópalach — resembling opal in its iridescence
  • Italian: opalino — resembling opal in its iridescence
  • Portuguese: opalino — resembling opal in its iridescence