red clay

American  

noun

Geology.

1. a brown to red, widely distributed deep-sea deposit consisting chiefly of microscopic particles and tinted red by iron oxides and manganese.

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Other Word Forms

• red-clay adjective

Etymology

Origin of red clay

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

But by the time it was over, the 5-hour, 29-minute epic on the red clay of Roland-Garros was simply one of the greatest major finals ever played.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

I played in the parks, which were often hard red clay with loose pebbles and stones, with two square goalposts fashioned out of wood and string.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2025

The pigeon dropped to the red clay at Court Suzanne Lenglen — and remained on the ground — during a changeover in the fourth set of 2021 U.S.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2024

Iga Swiatek is coming off her third title in the past four years on the French Open’s red clay.

From Washington Times • Jun. 28, 2023

Jagged rocks stuck up through the red clay.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez