English Reference
noun

pottery

n.
US /ˈpɑtɝi/ UK /pˈɒtəɹi/ pot·tery

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    pots, dishes, and other items made of clay that have been baked in an oven to make them hard.

    ceramic ware made of clay and hardened by heat. Uncountable in this sense.

    Simple

    The museum has a beautiful collection of ancient Greek pottery.

    In context

    Archaeologists recovered fragments of glazed pottery from the site, suggesting the settlement had active trade links with neighbouring regions.

    ceramicsearthenwarecrockery
  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    the activity or skill of making things out of clay.

    the craft or art of the potter; the process of forming and firing clay vessels.

    Simple

    She decided to take a pottery class on Tuesday nights to learn how to use a wheel.

    In context

    Mastering pottery requires significant patience, particularly when learning to centre the clay on a high-speed spinning wheel.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    a place or shop where clay objects are made and sold.

    a workshop or factory where a potter works and produces ceramic goods.

    Simple

    We visited a small local pottery and bought some handmade mugs.

    In context

    The village is famous for its traditional pottery, where artisans have been using the same wood-fired kilns for generations.


From Old French poterie, from potier (“potter”), from the root of pot, equivalent to pot + -ery. First attested in the 13th century.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old French poterie
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated