Historical Materials

noun a fine-grained, translucent form of gypsum, typically white, often carved into ornaments

• The sculpture was carved from pure white alabaster.
• I bought a beautiful alabaster vase for my living room.
• Check out this cool alabaster paperweight I found at the flea market.
• Her skin was as smooth and pale as alabaster.

noun a soft, white, claylike mineral composed mainly of magnesium silicate, used for making tobacco pipes

• The pipe was made of high-quality meerschaum, known for its smooth smoking qualities.
• I found a cool meerschaum pipe at the antique shop.
• Let's smoke some meerschaum and relax by the fire.
• Her words were delicate and white as meerschaum, easily shaped by the listener's interpretation.

noun a shiny greyish-white metal that is a valuable material used in making jewelry, coins, and other decorative items

verb to cover or coat with silver

adjective having the color or appearance of silver

• The silver cutlery set was passed down through generations in the family.
• I love wearing silver jewelry, it goes with everything.
• That car is so silver, it's like a mirror on wheels.
• Her words were like silver, smooth and pleasing to the ears.

noun a hard fatty substance made from rendered animal fat, used in making candles and soap

• Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat used in cooking and soap making.
• My grandma always used tallow instead of butter for baking.
• I heard tallow is a great alternative to expensive candles.
• The tallow of wisdom burns brightest in the darkest of times.

noun a waxy substance found in the head cavities of sperm whales, used in making candles, cosmetics, and ointments

• Spermaceti is a waxy substance found in the head of the sperm whale.
• Have you heard of spermaceti? It's this weird stuff in whale heads.
• I have no idea what spermaceti is, sounds like some alien material.
• Her skin was as smooth as spermaceti, glowing in the sunlight.