earthenware

American  

[ur-thuhn-wair] / ˈɜr θənˌwɛər /

noun

1. pottery of baked or hardened clay, especially any of the coarse, opaque varieties.

2. clay for making such pottery.

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earthenware British  

/ ˈɜːθənˌwɛə /

noun

1. 1. vessels, etc, made of baked clay

   2. ( as adjective )

      an earthenware pot

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Etymology

Origin of earthenware

First recorded in 1640–50; earthen + ware ¹

Example Sentences

The Mexican hairless dog was believed to guide people on the journey from life to death, but Govan said LACMA’s 2,000 year-old earthenware example feels “friendly and relatable.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Highly hierarchical, with powerful masters of time who encoded astronomical knowledge in the Nebra Sky Disc, they developed specialised crafts, such as earthenware.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

Burslem Pottery developed earthenware for domestic use before the business faded away in the 1930s, although it was revived by ceramics artist Tracey Bentley in 2009.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2024

She calls the preparation a “tian,” a French Provençal term that refers to a shallow round earthenware vessel, as well as the dishes baked in it.

From Washington Times • Dec. 13, 2023

And there were jars of earthenware in rows holding an old wine, mellow, unmixed, and rare; cool stood the jars against the wall, kept for whatever day Odysseus, worn by hardships, might come home.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

Related Words

• ceramics
• stoneware