pottery

noun

pot·​tery ˈpä-tə-rē 

plural potteries

1

: a place where clayware is made and fired

2

a

: the art or craft of the potter

b

: the manufacture of clayware

3

: clayware

especially : earthenware as distinguished from porcelain and stoneware and from brick and tile

Synonyms

• crockery
• earthenware
• stoneware

Examples of pottery in a Sentence

He has collected pottery for years.

She was a painter for years before she discovered pottery.

Recent Examples on the Web

Experts identified the jug as an amphora — a piece of pottery sometimes used in funeral rituals to hold offerings or human remains, or as a grave marker. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025

Uptown Art Expo: Featuring more than 140 artists with displays of glass, jewelry, mosaics, paintings, photography, pottery, sculpture and more all available for purchase. —Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025

The archaeologists also recovered about 70,000 pieces of Roman pottery, including imports from Gaul that hint at London’s role as a business hub. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2025

Tracking their unique pottery has allowed researchers to map the territorial expansion of the Argaric culture. —The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pottery

• cautery
• lottery
• watery

Kids Definition

pottery

noun

pot·​tery ˈpät-ə-rē 

plural potteries

1

: a place where clay articles (as pots and vases) are made

2

: the art of the potter : ceramics

3

: articles made from clay that is shaped while moist and hardened by heat