First recorded in 1750–60
First recorded in 1825–35
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To scour your cross belts with fresh pipe clay?
From The Star of Gettysburg A Story of Southern High Tide by Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
In 1663 the Company of Tobacco-Pipe Makers petitioned Parliament "to forbid the export of tobacco pipe clay, since by the manufacture of pipes in Holland their trade is much damaged."
From The Social History of Smoking by Apperson, George Latimer
Take an ounce of pipe clay that has been ground fine, and mix it with twelve drops of alcohol, and the same quantity of spirits of turpentine.
From The American Housewife Containing the Most Valuable and Original Receipts in all the Various Branches of Cookery; and Written in a Minute and Methodical Manner by Anonymous
In Alum Bay the strata consist of sands, yellow, grey, white, and crimson, with clays, and bands of pipe clay.
From The Geological Story of the Isle of Wight by Hughes, J. Cecil
Generally speaking, kaolin, China clay, ball clay, pipe clay, China stone, felspar, flint, quartz, sand, lime, chalk, and calcined bone are the ingredients of most modern pastes.
From Pottery, for Artists Craftsmen & Teachers by Cox, George J.
He frowned and waited while the pipe-clay of Mr. Pettigrew's complexion slowly took the tint of old red sandstone.
From John March, Southerner by Cable, George W.
Remember, sir, that humanity was not moulded entirely from one stratum of pipe-clay.
From Vashti or, Until Death Us Do Part by Wilson, Augusta J. Evans
Crouch-ware, krowch′-wār, n. a finely finished pottery made with an admixture of pipe-clay in Shropshire: the famous salt-glazed stoneware made at Burslem.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
Great preparations were made, as for a grand corrobory, or festival, the men divesting themselves of even the portions of clothing commonly worn, and painting their naked black bodies in a hideous manner with pipe-clay.
From Austral English A dictionary of Australasian words, phrases and usages with those aboriginal-Australian and Maori words which have become incorporated in the language, and the commoner scientific words that have had their origin in Australasia by Morris, Edward Ellis
I’ve no belts to pipe-clay, and you’ve no deck to holy-stone.
From Commodore Junk by Fenn, George Manville
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.
