potter's field
A public place where strangers, paupers, and criminals are buried.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The unknown man was buried in the potter's field.”
“Because the family could not afford a private plot, the city buried the unclaimed body in the potter's field.”
“The neglected cemetery, once known as a potter's field, now serves as a quiet, overgrown resting place for those whom society long ago forgot.”
The phrase derives from the New Testament, appearing in Matthew 27:7. After Judas Iscariot committed suicide, he left behind the thirty pieces of silver he had received for the betrayal of Jesus. As the coins were considered blood money and therefore unfit for the temple treasury, the chief priests used the sum to purchase a potter’s field to serve as a burial ground for gentiles.
The site was traditionally a source of clay, but once the usable earth had been extracted, the resulting excavations were of little value for agriculture or industry. The land was subsequently repurposed for those who died without the means for a private grave, establishing the term as a designation for the burial of the indigent and the unknown.
- 01
cede the field
To withdraw from any confrontational or potentially confrontational situation; to avoid participating in a competition or contest.
- 02
center field
A central role in some activity that requires speed.
- 03
debris field
Any area, non-dependent of locale, space, or contour, that contains the debris of wreckage, impact, sinking, or other material that once constituted a complete object. Debris fields can be found at the site of air crashes, water vessel sinking, explosions of buildings, collapses, and other events that render a whole entity into components, pieces, or other non-whole items.
- 04
field day
A great time or a great deal to do; a period of bustling activity.
- 05
leave it all on the field
Used to remind players not to dwell on minor mistakes, issues or conflicts that happened during the course of play.
- 06
open field
A situation with no obstacles or limitations; a clear opportunity to act freely or without significant competition.
- 07
play the field
To have numerous romantic partners, without or before committing exclusively to one.
- 08
potter's clay
A person or people created and shaped by God.
Last updated August 10, 2026