porcelain

The word “porcelain” means a hard, translucent white ceramic made by firing fine clay at high heat, or objects made from it. In plain terms, fine, hard, white ceramic, or an object made from it, prized for its delicacy and translucence.

“Porcelain” is pronounced PAW-suh-lihn (/ˈpɔɹs(ə)lɪn/ in IPA).

Here is “porcelain” used in a sentence: “The museum's collection of antique Chinese porcelain is world-famous.”

“Porcelain” is a noun.

The word “porcelain” comes from Italian. From Old Italian porcellana, originally meaning "cowrie shell" — the material was named for its resemblance to the glossy surface of the shell.

“Porcelain” is an uncommon word in modern English.

Porcelain and china largely overlap, both referring to a hard, translucent white ceramic made by firing fine clay at high heat; "china" is essentially a common name for porcelain, especially tableware, derived from its historical association with Chinese manufacture. "Bone china" is a specific type of porcelain that includes bone ash in the clay mixture.

Ceramic is the broad category covering all fired-clay materials, including earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain, while porcelain is a specific, especially hard and translucent type of ceramic made from fine clay fired at very high temperatures. All porcelain is ceramic, but not all ceramic is porcelain.

Not exactly: bone china is a specific variety of porcelain that includes bone ash, giving it extra strength and a warmer white colour, whereas porcelain more broadly refers to any hard, translucent white ceramic fired from fine clay.