clay

[ kley ]
See synonyms for clay on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a natural earthy material that is plastic when wet, consisting essentially of hydrated silicates of aluminum: used for making bricks, pottery, etc.

  2. earth; mud.

  1. earth, especially regarded as the material from which the human body was formed.

  2. the human body, especially as distinguished from the spirit or soul; the flesh.

  3. human character as estimated according to fineness of constitution, endowments, etc.: The saints and heroes seem of a different clay from most of us.

verb (used with object)
  1. to treat or mix with clay; cover, daub, or fill with clay.

  2. to filter through clay.

Origin of clay

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English clei, cleigh, Old English clǣg, cognate with Dutch klei, German Klei, akin to glue

Other words from clay

  • clay·like, adjective
  • un·clayed, adjective

Words Nearby clay

Other definitions for Clay (2 of 2)

Clay
[ kley ]

noun
  1. Bertha M. Charlotte Monica Braeme, 1836–84, English author: originator of a long series of romantic novels.

  2. Cassius Marcellus, 1810–1903, U.S. antislavery leader and diplomat.

  1. Cassius Marcellus, Jr., original name of Muhammad Ali.

  2. Henry, 1777–1852, U.S. statesman and orator.

  3. Lucius (Du·Bi·gnon) [doo-bin-yon], /ˌdu bɪnˈyɒn/, 1897–1978, U.S. general.

  4. a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use clay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for clay (1 of 2)

clay

/ (kleɪ) /


noun
  1. a very fine-grained material that consists of hydrated aluminium silicate, quartz, and organic fragments and occurs as sedimentary rocks, soils, and other deposits. It becomes plastic when moist but hardens on heating and is used in the manufacture of bricks, cement, ceramics, etc: Related adjective: figuline

  2. earth or mud in general

  1. poetic the material of the human body

verb
  1. (tr) to cover or mix with clay

Origin of clay

1
Old English clǣg; related to Old High German klīa, Norwegian kli, Latin glūs glue, Greek gloios sticky oil

Derived forms of clay

  • clayey, clayish or claylike, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Clay (2 of 2)

Clay

/ (kleɪ) /


noun
  1. Cassius: See Muhammad Ali

  2. Henry. 1777–1852, US statesman and orator; secretary of state (1825–29)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for clay

clay

[ klā ]


  1. A stiff, sticky sedimentary material that is soft and pliable when wet and consists mainly of various silicates of aluminum. Clay particles are smaller than silt, having a diameter less than 0.0039 mm. Clay is widely used to make bricks, pottery, and tiles.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with clay

clay

In addition to the idiom beginning with clay

  • clay pigeon

also see:

  • feet of clay

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.