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

Alongside these household items, the virtual museum showcases stone tools and pottery from Native American campsites. —Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 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, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025

Excavations in South Ayrshire also unearthed ruins of another 2,600-year-old roundhouse and 3,500-year-old pottery, archaeologists said. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025

Archaeologists also found 628 ostraca, which were broken pieces of pottery and stone that were used to write and draw. —Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 3 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