kaolin

American  

[key-uh-lin] / ˈkeɪ ə lɪn /

Or kaoline

noun

1. a fine white clay used in the manufacture of porcelain.

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kaolin British  

/ ˈkeɪəlɪn /

noun

1. Also called: china clay.   china stone.  a fine white clay used for the manufacture of hard-paste porcelain and bone china and in medicine as a poultice and gastrointestinal absorbent

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Other Word Forms

• kaolinic adjective

Etymology

Origin of kaolin

1720–30; < French < Chinese (Wade-Giles) Kao1ling3, (pinyin) Gāolǐng mountain in Jiangxi province that yielded the first kaolin sent to Europe ( gāo high + lǐng hill)

Example Sentences

Collins, over at Washington State University, has been experimenting with spraying fine-powdered kaolin or bentonite, which are clays, mixed with water onto wine grapes so it absorbs materials that are in smoke.

From Washington Times • Sep. 28, 2023

Though its face was originally painted white with kaolin, enough color has worn away to leave it with the look of an actor sweating through her makeup — a perfect balance of delicacy and passion.

From New York Times • Apr. 1, 2022

Neither kaolin clay nor a mix of neem and karanja oil significantly reduced damage on young apple trees, researchers reported in the Journal of Entomological Science.

From Washington Post • Mar. 30, 2021

Tourniquets are now standard issue in the U.S. military, along with hemostatic dressings—sterile gauze infused with kaolin, a clay that promotes swift blood clotting.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 1, 2019

Again, ground pitchers, fine grog, kaolin, or calcined flint could be tried as stiffening agents.

From Pottery, for Artists Craftsmen & Teachers by Cox, George J.

Related Words

• brick
• earth
• mud