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

The museum occupies the building once used by the U.S. Navy for housing munitions and features everything from Taíno pottery to exhibits detailing the history of the U.S. military presence on the island. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 26 Jan. 2025

Sarah Wells Rolland, whose Asheville pottery studio was destroyed by flooding, is less enthusiastic. —Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025

Perched above the mantel are bits of pottery baskets and other trinkets. —Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025

Port Isaac Port Isaac is a charming fishing village known for its narrow winding streets, tiny art galleries, pottery shops, and whitewashed cottages overlooking its harbor, known locally as the Platt. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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