pottery

noun

pot·​tery ˈpä-tə-rē 

plural potteries

1

: a place where clayware is made and fired

2

a

: the art or craft of the potter

b

: the manufacture of clayware

3

: clayware

especially : earthenware as distinguished from porcelain and stoneware and from brick and tile

Synonyms of pottery

• ceramics

Examples of pottery in a Sentence

He has collected pottery for years.

She was a painter for years before she discovered pottery.

Recent Examples on the Web

His collection included woodland pots from North America, Aztec stone figurines and obsidian blades, a canoe from South America, Indigenous stone tools and weapons, Taino artifacts, an ancient Roman mosaic fragment, and Chinese pottery and armor. —Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025

Peruse pottery, antique cast-iron cookware and vintage vinyl at Gadsden Variety & Deli, and at Dusty Things, old books, toys and other collectibles await. —Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2025

Among these fragile artifacts are millennia-old papyrus scrolls, textiles, sarcophagi, pottery and mummified human remains. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

Valdo says that in the 1930s his great grandmother, like many Acoma Pueblo women, sold their pottery to tourists driving through the valley on Route 66. —Kit Bernardi, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pottery

• cautery
• lottery
• watery

Kids Definition

pottery

noun

pot·​tery ˈpät-ə-rē 

plural potteries

1

: a place where clay articles (as pots and vases) are made

2

: the art of the potter : ceramics

3

: articles made from clay that is shaped while moist and hardened by heat