terra-cotta

noun

ter·​ra-cot·​ta ˌter-ə-ˈkä-tə 

often attributive

1

: a glazed or unglazed fired clay used especially for statuettes and vases and architectural purposes (as for roofing, facing, and relief ornamentation)

also : something made of this material

2

: a brownish orange

Examples of terra-cotta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For Welch, go-to colors include pink, sage, and yellow, with accents of brown and terra-cotta. —Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024

Its terra-cotta walls and spired boxwoods signal the style instantly, and inside are huge arched wooden doors and bespoke kitchen tiling. —Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2024

The della Robbia family produced so many tender terra-cottas of Madonnas and angels offering gentleness and consolation to others in the face of the cruelty of life, but this one suffered such cruelty itself, because it was burned in a fire in Berlin in 1945. —Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

Like other citrus, lemons are prone to root rot and are easier to care for in a terra-cotta pot that can wick excess water off the soil, Fleming says. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian terra cotta, literally, baked earth

First Known Use

1722, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

terra-cotta

noun

ter·​ra-cot·​ta

ˌter-ə-ˈkät-ə

plural terra-cottas

1

: a glazed or unglazed baked clay used for pottery, statues, and building materials

also : something made of this material

2

: a brownish orange

Etymology

from Italian terra cotta, literally "baked earth," derived from Latin terra "earth" and Latin coquere "to cook"