kaolin

noun

ka·​o·​lin ˈkā-ə-lən 

: a fine usually white clay that is used in ceramics and refractories, as a filler or extender, and in medicine especially as an adsorbent in the treatment of diarrhea

Examples of kaolin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This clarifying clay mask pairs kaolin and bentonite clays with bamboo charcoal to draw out pore-clogging impurities and sweep away excess oil—without leaving your skin feeling parched. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 30 Sep. 2025

Oily to combination skin types can rejoice—blurring pigments combine with oil-absorbing kaolin clay for a long-lasting mattifying effect. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2025

Unlike traditional slow cookers or casserole dishes made from metal or glazed stoneware, the Claypot Oven uses untreated, mineral-rich kaolin clay as its base. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 July 2025

At the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Karen Scrivener and colleagues developed cements that blend calcined kaolin clay and ground limestone with a small portion of clinker. —IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French kaolin, from Gaoling hill in China

First Known Use

circa 1741, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

kaolin

noun

ka·​olin

ˈkā-ə-lən

: a fine usually white clay used in making porcelain, in paper, and in medicines that treat diarrhea

Medical Definition

kaolin

noun

ka·​olin ˈkā-ə-lən 

: a fine usually white clay that is used in ceramics and refractories, as a filler or extender, and in medicine especially as an adsorbent in the treatment of diarrhea (as in food poisoning or dysentery)