Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

red clay

noun

Definition of red clay

1 : clay that usually owes its reddish color to oxide of iron
2 : a slowly accumulating abysmal deposit covering some 55,000,000 square miles of the deepest parts of the ocean bottom and consisting of the insoluble residual material of volcanic and meteoritic or cosmic dust mingled with nodules of manganese oxide, crystals of the zeolite phillipsite, sharks' teeth, the siliceous tests of Radiolaria, and other resistant organic debris

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Learn More about red clay

Statistics for red clay

Look-up Popularity

Comments on red clay

What made you want to look up red clay? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

gritty

Listen to the pronounciation of gritty

showing courage and determination

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Words for Summer: A Quiz

  • a closeup of a sunflower
  • Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Add Diction

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games