celadon
Americannoun
-
any of several Chinese porcelains having a translucent, pale green glaze.
-
any porcelain imitating these.
-
a pale gray-green.
adjective
noun
-
a type of porcelain having a greyish-green glaze: mainly Chinese
-
a pale greyish-green colour, sometimes somewhat yellow
Etymology
Origin of celadon
First recorded in 1760–70; named after Céladon, name of a character in L' Astrée, a tale by Honoré d'Urfé (1568–1625), French writer
Explanation
Celadon is a soft, grayish green color. It's also the name of a kind of pottery that has a celadon-colored glaze. The word celadon was coined to describe the pale jade glaze, which is often deliberately scattered with fine cracks. It comes from a character in a 17th-century French romantic novel, a shepherd and sentimental hero named Céladon who is described as wearing green clothing. Celadon pottery is still popular today, and so is the color; you can find clothing, wall paint, and nail polish in celadon.
Vocabulary lists containing celadon
Green
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Shipwrecked!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
Upstairs, the exhibition highlights 19th-century innovations, including the introduction of colored porcelain in celadon, and enameled, painted and gilded pieces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2025
Behind him, a young servant arrives with a snack, while books and a celadon vase have been laid out for study on a nearby table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2023
Though it was her subtle way with black leather — coats, pinafores, pleated skirts — and the ruffled celadon silks that lingered.
From New York Times ● Mar. 6, 2022
Rowhouses lining streets nearby the main artery of Eighth Street SE splash celadon, gray and green across the urban landscape.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 31, 2018
No one knew why this happened, so making several identical pieces was the best safeguard to ensure that at least one would fire to an unflawed celadon green.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
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.
