ceramic

American  

[suh-ram-ik] / səˈræm ɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to products made from clay and similar materials, as pottery and brick, or to their manufacture.

   ceramic art.

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noun

1. ceramic material.

ceramic British  

/ sɪˈræmɪk /

noun

1. a hard brittle material made by firing clay and similar substances

2. an object made from such a material

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or made from a ceramic

   this vase is ceramic

2. of or relating to ceramics

   ceramic arts and crafts

ceramic Scientific  

/ sə-răm′ĭk /

1. Any of various hard, brittle, heat- and corrosion-resistant materials made typically of metallic elements combined with oxygen or with carbon, nitrogen, or sulfur. Most ceramics are crystalline and are poor conductors of electricity, though some recently discovered copper-oxide ceramics are superconductors at low temperatures.

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Etymology

Origin of ceramic

1840–50; variant of keramic < Greek keramikós, equivalent to kéram ( os ) potters' clay + -ikos -ic

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Explanation

Something that's ceramic is made out of clay and baked in a kiln until it's very hard. If you sign up for a pottery class, you will almost certainly make ceramic bowls. Ceramics, also known as pottery, describes any dishes or other items made from hardened clay. You might have ceramic tile in your bathroom or kitchen, or a beautiful ceramic vase on your mantle. If you're an artist who makes clay sculptures, your art form itself is also ceramics. The word comes from the Greek keramos, "potter's earth."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ceramic

Once fans have finished gazing at the ceramic circle, they could ramp up the excitement by visiting some of the capital's sites used in the actual films.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

The clay, ceramic and metal sculptures look like munitions and rockets; one features a red handprint that symbolizes blood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

Among the artifacts recovered from the site is an unusual ceramic vessel depicting a seated Peruvian hairless dog with humanlike features.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

Had they been plastered, clad in ceramic, or built in raw concrete, they would have lent tangible weight and heft to the vaults.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Mumtaz plucked cream-colored ceramic bowls and plates with gold trim out of the cupboards while the little girl ladled cholay, beef korma, and saffron-scented rice into serving platters.

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed

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Related Words

• brick
• earthenware
• porcelain
• stoneware
• tile

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