Meaning

noun a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel

noun a shade of white the color of bleached bones

noun a shape that is spherical and small

originInherited from Middle English perle, from Old French perle of uncertain etymology. Probably via unattested Medieval Latin *pernula, from Latin perna (“haunch; a marine bivalve shaped like a leg of lamb”) but also derived from Medieval Latin perla, from Latin perula (“little bag”). Its typographic use follows the name given by Jean Jannon to the type used in his miniature editions of Vergil,…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0