terracotta

American  

[ter-uh-kot-uh] / ˈtɛr əˈkɒt ə /

Or terra-cotta terra cotta

noun

terracottas plural

1. a hard, fired clay, brownish-red in color when unglazed, that is used for architectural ornaments and facings, structural units, pottery, and as a material for sculpture.

2. something made of terracotta.

3. a brownish-orange color like that of unglazed terracotta.

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adjective

1. made of or having the color of terracotta.

terracotta British  

/ ˌtɛrəˈkɒtə /

noun

1. a hard unglazed brownish-red earthenware, or the clay from which it is made

2. something made of terracotta, such as a sculpture

3. a strong reddish-brown to brownish-orange colour

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adjective

1. made of terracotta

   a terracotta urn

2. of the colour terracotta

   a terracotta carpet

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• terracottas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of terracotta

First recorded in 1715–25; from Italian: literally, “baked earth, cooked earth,” from Latin terra cocta; see origin at thirsty, cook ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

And the statue has also not met with the international acclaim accorded to Michaelangelo’s David or China’s Terracotta Army.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2024

Labor for projects such as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army came from commoners as a form of tax or as a requirement under the Qin’s law codes.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Some exhibits were financially successful, like King Tut in 2012 and Terracotta Warriors in 2017.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 11, 2022

So at times the sites at the home of the famed Terracotta Warriors have been empty.

From BBC • Oct. 6, 2022

There appears, however, no doubt that these bronzes, as well as the objects in Terracotta already mentioned, are of native manufacture.

From Rambles in the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia with Notices of their History, Antiquities, and Present Condition. by Forester, Thomas