pottery

noun

pot·​tery ˈpä-tə-rē How to pronounce pottery (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For ceramics, make your way to PK Studio, where Italian architect turned artist Roberto Paparcone crafts minimalist vases and dinnerware—and invites visitors to try their hand at the pottery wheel themselves. Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025 Similarly, Pauker’s artistic and pottery career started in the classroom, but at La Jolla High School. Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025 Sedona’s version, built around a historic sycamore grove, includes 14 galleries, six jewelry stores and 22 specialty shops — home to functional Southwestern pottery, Italian wood inlay music boxes, New Age crystals, and more. New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025 There is also a large selection of vases and urns, highlighting unique textures made from placing horsehair or feathers on hot pottery to leave their mark. Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pottery

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pottery was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Pottery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pottery. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

pottery

noun
pot·​tery ˈpät-ə-rē How to pronounce pottery (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on pottery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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