Meaning & use
pearly whites
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Meanings
nounpluralinformalhumorous
A humorous or affectionate name for a person's teeth, especially when they look white and healthy.
Grammar: Always plural; you say 'her pearly whites', not 'a pearly white' for the whole set.
Patterns
- someone's pearly whites
- show your pearly whites
- flash your pearly whites
He grinned at the camera, showing off his pearly whites.
She had her pearly whites whitened before the wedding photos.
The dentist told him to take better care of his pearly whites.
nounfixed phraseinformalhumorous
Used in the phrase 'flash your pearly whites', meaning to give a big, bright smile.
Grammar: Mostly used in the expression flash/show your pearly whites; it is not usually used in other sentence patterns.
Patterns
- flash your pearly whites
- show your pearly whites
Come on, flash your pearly whites for the family photo.
The presenter flashed her pearly whites at the audience before speaking.
Common combinations
- flash your pearly whites
- He flashed his pearly whites when he saw the camera.
- show your pearly whites
- Show your pearly whites and say cheese!
- white pearly whites
- After the treatment, her pearly whites looked extra white.
- a set of pearly whites
- The actor is famous for his perfect set of pearly whites.
Synonyms and how they differ
- teeth
- The neutral, everyday word; pearly whites is informal and adds a joking or admiring tone.
- choppers
- Another informal word for teeth, but it often suggests large or prominent teeth and can sound less affectionate.
Word family
- pearly adjective
- Shiny and white like a pearl.
- white adjective
- The color of fresh snow or milk.
Commonly confused: pearly whites or pearlies?
pearly whites vs pearlies
Pearlies can refer to the pearl buttons worn by London costermongers; pearly whites specifically means teeth.
Practice
The photographer said, 'Come on, flash your ______ for the camera!' What does the missing phrase mean?
Choose one answer.
Pearly whites is an informal, humorous phrase for your teeth, so 'flash your pearly whites' means smile brightly. White pearls are jewels, pearl buttons are fasteners, and white flags signal surrender.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pearly whites”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.