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 aesthetic is spare but elegant, emphasizing contemporary African craft — woven rugs, rich woods, baskets, and pottery. —Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2024

Unearthed beneath a bridge in the city’s center, the animal bones and pieces of glazed pottery occupied large drainage ditches dating to the 13th and 14th centuries. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2024

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