terracotta
Americannoun
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a hard, fired clay, brownish-red in color when unglazed, that is used for architectural ornaments and facings, structural units, pottery, and as a material for sculpture.
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something made of terracotta.
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a brownish-orange color like that of unglazed terracotta.
adjective
noun
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a hard unglazed brownish-red earthenware, or the clay from which it is made
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something made of terracotta, such as a sculpture
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a strong reddish-brown to brownish-orange colour
adjective
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made of terracotta
a terracotta urn
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of the colour terracotta
a terracotta carpet
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of terracotta
First recorded in 1715–25; from Italian: literally, “baked earth, cooked earth,” from Latin terra cocta; see origin at thirsty, cook 1 ( def. )
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.
Against this background, China’s first empire, the Qin, presided over the creation of some of the ancient world’s greatest historical treasures, including the Terracotta Army and an early form of the Great Wall.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
Visiting the Terracotta Army on a state visit to China in Xi’an in 1986.
From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2022
The National Health Commission on Wednesday announced just 35 new cases in Xi’an, home to the famed Terracotta Warriors statues along with major industries, down from 95 the day before.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 4, 2022
Residents of Xi'an, known for its Terracotta Warriors, are not allowed to leave the city unless they have extenuating circumstances and approval from officials to so do.
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2021
There appears, however, no doubt that these bronzes, as well as the objects in Terracotta already mentioned, are of native manufacture.
From Rambles in the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia with Notices of their History, Antiquities, and Present Condition. by Forester, Thomas
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.
