Clay

¹ American  

[kley] / kleɪ /

noun

1. Bertha M. Charlotte Monica Braeme, 1836–84, English author: originator of a long series of romantic novels.

2. Cassius Marcellus, 1810–1903, U.S. antislavery leader and diplomat.

3. Cassius Marcellus, Jr., original name of Muhammad Ali.

4. Henry, 1777–1852, U.S. statesman and orator.

5. Lucius (DuBignon) 1897–1978, U.S. general.

6. a male given name.

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clay ² American  

[kley] / kleɪ /

noun

1. a natural earthy material that is plastic when wet, consisting essentially of hydrated silicates of aluminum: used for making bricks, pottery, etc.

2. earth; mud.

3. earth, especially regarded as the material from which the human body was formed.

4. the human body, especially as distinguished from the spirit or soul; the flesh.

5. human character as estimated according to fineness of constitution, endowments, etc..

   The saints and heroes seem of a different clay from most of us.

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verb (used with object)

1. to treat or mix with clay; cover, daub, or fill with clay.

2. to filter through clay.

clay ¹ British  

/ kleɪ /

noun

1. a very fine-grained material that consists of hydrated aluminium silicate, quartz, and organic fragments and occurs as sedimentary rocks, soils, and other deposits. It becomes plastic when moist but hardens on heating and is used in the manufacture of bricks, cement, ceramics, etc

2. earth or mud in general

3. poetic the material of the human body

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verb

1. (tr) to cover or mix with clay

Clay ² British  

/ kleɪ /

noun

1. Cassius See Muhammad Ali

2. Henry. 1777–1852, US statesman and orator; secretary of state (1825–29)

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clay Scientific  

/ klā /

1. A stiff, sticky sedimentary material that is soft and pliable when wet and consists mainly of various silicates of aluminum. Clay particles are smaller than silt, having a diameter less than 0.0039 mm. Clay is widely used to make bricks, pottery, and tiles.

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clay Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing clay

• feet of clay

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Other Word Forms

• clayey adjective
• claylike adjective
• unclayed adjective

Etymology

Origin of clay

First recorded before 1000; Middle English clei, cleigh, Old English clǣg, cognate with Dutch klei, German Klei, akin to glue

Example Sentences

"You may have layers of solid rock, or you may have sand or clay," she says.

From Science Daily

"It shouldn't be too difficult - the same ball for clay, the same for hard and the same for grass. That would be really helpful to the players," he said.

From BBC

In the warehouse space near construction supply shops and a Western-themed bar, designers have built clay models and prototypes of a customizable EV truck that could cost half as much as the competition.

From Los Angeles Times

One wall of her studio is lined with metal racks stacked with bins and boxes labeled “clay,” “metal” and “scraps.”

From Los Angeles Times

Whether current politics inspired that thread doesn’t matter; those ideas are baked into the clay of American history, making the broader lessons of “Sinners” timeless.

From Salon

Related Words

• brick
• earth
• mud