terracotta

or ter·ra-cot·ta ,

ter·ra cot·ta

[ ter-uh-kot-uh ]
See synonyms for terracotta on Thesaurus.com
noun
  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.

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

adjective
  1. made of or having the color of terracotta.

Origin of terracotta

1
First recorded in 1715–25; from Italian: literally, “baked earth, cooked earth,” from Latin terra cocta; see origin at thirsty, cook1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use terracotta in a sentence

  • Upon some of these terra-cottas the sun is even surrounded by four , which again form a cross by their position round it.

    Troy and its Remains | Henry (Heinrich) Schliemann
  • On account of the many huge stones, no terra-cottas were found either yesterday or on the preceding day.

    Troy and its Remains | Henry (Heinrich) Schliemann
  • All the terra-cottas are of a brilliant red, yellow, green, or black colour; only the very large urns are colourless.

    Troy and its Remains | Henry (Heinrich) Schliemann
  • In addition to this I found there seven of the round terra-cottas in the shape of a flat top.

    Troy and its Remains | Henry (Heinrich) Schliemann
  • The only terra-cottas with owls heads that have been met with, since my last report, are two cups (vase-covers).

    Troy and its Remains | Henry (Heinrich) Schliemann

British Dictionary definitions for terracotta

terracotta

/ (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

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

adjective
  1. made of terracotta: a terracotta urn

  2. of the colour terracotta: a terracotta carpet

Origin of terracotta

1
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