ceramics
Americannoun
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ceramics
plural
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(used with a singular verb) the art or technology of making objects of clay and similar materials treated by firing.
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(used with a plural verb) articles of earthenware, porcelain, etc.
noun
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Etymology
Origin of ceramics
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Explanation
The branch of art known as ceramics is all about making pottery. A ceramics class might teach you to make a bowl from clay using a pottery wheel. In ceramics, artists pinch cups and figures from clay, and create bowls, plates, and pots by spinning and shaping the clay on a wheel. Most of these items — which can also be called ceramics — are glazed or painted, and baked in an extremely hot oven. The word ceramics comes from the Greek word keramos, "potter's clay," or "tiles."
Vocabulary lists containing ceramics
Visual Arts - Introductory
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Visual Arts - High School
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Visual Arts - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The robots’ pincer-like hands make it challenging to grasp slippery and heavy ceramics.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Kekova ceramics are distinctive, with two handles, a ridge in the middle and a flat base.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
His paintings and ceramics are layered and collage-like, driven by instinct rather than by a predestined end point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Many silicon-derived materials used in concrete, glass, ceramics, semiconductors, and silicones require high temperatures, large amounts of energy, and intensive chemical processing to produce.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Neves had a little trouble hanging the tape because he couldn't find a place where it wouldn't get snagged on the broken ceramics protruding from the walls.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
