noun
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articles, vessels, etc, made from earthenware and dried and baked in a kiln
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a place where such articles are made
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the craft or business of making such articles
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pottery
Compare meaning
How does pottery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Something made out of clay and baked in a kiln is a piece of pottery—and the craft of creating it is also pottery. You might make pottery in the arts and crafts tent at camp. Anything made from clay that's been fired, or baked at a high temperature in a kiln, is pottery. Some pottery is made on a wheel that turns while the potter forms the shape of a bowl or vase. Other pottery is formed with hands or tools that shape the clay. In the 15th century, a pottery was a potter's shed or studio.
Vocabulary lists containing pottery
The Stone Age - Middle School and High School
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The Stone Age - Introductory
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Sports and Hobbies
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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.
Morgan Johnson, 29, who owns the Pottery Jungle near the base of Telephone Hill, wants to see more people—especially in the offseason.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
The final piece of Denby Pottery was signed by Richard Eaton, the man who designed the range more than 35 years ago.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Denby Pottery - established in 1809 - appointed administrators on 31 March after it said it had struggled with rising energy and labour costs.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
He found the clean-lined water fountain at Reseda Discount Pottery & Fountains, which he calls an “Aladdin’s cave” with hundreds of fountains running at once.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
Pottery, obsidian, and fishhooks similarly testify to some Jomon trade with Korea, Russia, and Okinawa—as does the arrival of the half-a-dozen Asian mainland crops that I already mentioned.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions 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.
