terra-cotta

noun

ter·​ra-cot·​ta ˌter-ə-ˈkä-tə How to pronounce terra-cotta (audio)
often attributive
1
: a glazed or unglazed fired clay used especially for statuettes and vases and architectural purposes (as for roofing, facing, and relief ornamentation)
also : something made of this material
2
: a brownish orange

Examples of terra-cotta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Commanding terra-cotta Tritons, which once adorned a 19th-century Viennese bank, now guard the orangery. Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024 Terra-Cotta Orchid Pots Porous terra-cotta allows air and water to pass through the walls of these stone-like pots freely. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2024 While the terra-cotta objects range in complexity, some are intricately crafted and painted. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 22 Dec. 2023 Image In 2010, Applied Materials, a Silicon Valley company, built two extensive labs in Xi’an, the city in western China famous for terra-cotta warriors. Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The designers eschewed the terra-cotta touches that are common in Provençal interiors, opting instead for soft-hued natural materials such as cork floors and burl wood furnishings. John Wogan Juliet Izon Gisela Williams Lindsey Tramuta Julia Halperin Jameson Montgomery, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 In some scenes, the bright, bleached sand surroundings become engulfed in deep, almost blood-like terra-cotta clouds of dust that disorient Fremen enemies. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 Elsewhere, Claudel’s terra-cotta figure Young Girl With a Sheaf is shown alongside Rodin’s celebrated marble Galatea. Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023 The collection: Wood, plaster, terra-cotta, marble and bronze busts, between 10 and 18 inches tall, largely from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. Julia Halperin, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terra-cotta.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian terra cotta, literally, baked earth

First Known Use

1722, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of terra-cotta was in 1722

Dictionary Entries Near terra-cotta

Cite this Entry

“Terra-cotta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terra-cotta. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

terra-cotta

noun
ter·​ra-cot·​ta
ˌter-ə-ˈkät-ə
plural terra-cottas
1
: a glazed or unglazed baked clay used for pottery, statues, and building materials
also : something made of this material
2
: a brownish orange
Etymology

from Italian terra cotta, literally "baked earth," derived from Latin terra "earth" and Latin coquere "to cook"

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