terracotta

or ter·ra-cot·ta , ter·ra cot·ta

[ ter-uh-kot-uh ]

/ ˈtɛr əˈkɒt ə /

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See synonyms for terracotta on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

something made of terracotta.

a brownish-orange color like that of unglazed terracotta.

adjective

made of or having the color of terracotta.

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Origin of terracotta

First recorded in 1715–25; from Italian: literally, “baked earth, cooked earth,” from Latin terra cocta; see origin at thirsty, cook¹

Words nearby terracotta

terra alba, terrace, terraced house, terrachlor, terracing, terracotta, terra firma, terraform, terraforming, terrain, terra incognita

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use terracotta in a sentence

In this animated Disney adventure from directors Carlos López Estrada and Don Hall, Raya sets out to free her father, one of countless people who have been frozen in terracotta by a malevolent force called the Druun.
Our Favorite Movies of 2021|smurguia|December 23, 2021|Outside Online
Only about 20 percent of the island’s population lives on the north side of the island, which is made up of quiet villages where terracotta-roofed homes and grape vineyards are scattered across terraced hills.
This European Island Is Like Hawaii Without the Tourists|Cassandra Brooklyn|December 20, 2021|The Daily Beast
Buy Chord Antique Brass Log Holder at CB2, $nullThese candles stand up on their own and come in earthy fall-esque shades like terracotta, moss, and sand.
Fall Decor You Need in Your Life Right Now|Korin Miller|September 30, 2021|The Daily Beast
He went so far as to have rivers of mercury set up in his tomb, along with his famous thousand-soldier strong Terracotta Army.
This Exhibit Could Kill You: The Museum of Natural History Takes on Poison|William O’Connor|January 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Daily Pic: China's terracotta army was built for fighting, not for looking at.
To Serve and Protect|Blake Gopnik|September 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The terracotta panels along the entrance front, over the principal floor windows, were designed by Mr. Boehm himself.
Scientific American Supplement No. 299|Various
Originally it had been a villa residence—a red-brick villa, covered with creepers and crowned with terracotta dragons.
The Longest Journey|E. M. Forster
I must not omit to mention that the small red shafts in the arcade below the belfry seem to be made of terracotta.
Some Account of Gothic Architecture in Spain|George Edmund Street
There are long and short ones, high and low ones, all pierced with little windows that are closed with a terracotta shutter.
The Life of the Fly|J. Henri Fabre
The most remarkable feature of these oldest ruins is the superiority of the terracotta articles.
A Manual of the Antiquity of Man|J. P. MacLean

British Dictionary definitions for terracotta

terracotta

/ (ˌtɛrəˈkɒtə) /

noun

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

something made of terracotta, such as a sculpture

a strong reddish-brown to brownish-orange colour

adjective

made of terracottaa terracotta urn

of the colour terracottaa terracotta carpet

Word Origin for terracotta

C18: from Italian, literally: baked earth

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

terracotta

or ter·ra-cot·ta , ter·ra cot·ta

Origin of terracotta

Words nearby terracotta

Words related to terracotta

How to use terracotta in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for terracotta

Word Origin for terracotta