mother of coal (mutherovkol)

See coal. mother-of-pearl (muTH'er-ov-perl'), n. The nacreous inner layer of the shell of various bivalve mollusks, as of the pearl-oyster, when hard, silvery, iridescent, or otherwise sufficiently beautiful to have commercial value; nacre. It is the substance of which pearls consist, a pearl being a ma of it instead of a layer. The large oysters of the Indian seas secrete this nacreous layer of sufficient thickne to render their shells available for purposes of trade. The genus Meleagrina furnishes the finest pearls as well as mother-of-pearl. These shells are found in the greatest perfection round the coasts of Ceylon, near Ormuz in the Persian Gulf, and in the Australian seas. Mother-of pearl is procured from many different shells, univalve as well as bivalve, and is extensively used in the arts, particularly in inlaid work, and in the manufacture of knife handles, buttons, toys, snuff-boxes, etc. - Mother-of pearl work, a kind of embroidery in which many small pieces of mother-of-pearl are sewed to the background, small holes being bored in them for the purpose. The outlines of the flowers, leaves, etc., made by the thin mother-of-pearl are indicated by silk or gold thread, in which material are also made the light sprays, stems, etc. mother-of-you sands (muTH'er-ov-thou' zandz), n. The Kenilworth or Colo eum ivy. See iryl. The name is le frequently applied to a few other plants, especially Saxifraga sar mentos a, the strawberry-geranium, of similar habit. [Prov. Eng.] mother-of-thyme (титн'èr-ov-tim'), n. The wild thyme, Thymus Serpyllum . See thyme. mother-of-vinegar (muTH'er-ov-vin'ē-gär), n . See mother2 , 2. mother-pearlt, n. Same as mother - of - pearl . mother-queen (muTH'er-kwen), n. The mother of a reigning sovereign; a queen-mother. With him along is come the mother - queen , An Ate, stirring him to blood and strife. Shak., K. John, ii. 1. 62.