terra cotta

(ter′ə kät′ə)

a hard, brown-red, usually unglazed earthenware used for pottery, sculpture, etc.
its brown-red color

Origin: It, lit., baked earth < L: see terra & cook

Related Forms:

See terra cotta in American Heritage Dictionary 4

or ter·ra·cot·ta or ter·ra-cot·ta

noun

a. A hard semifired waterproof ceramic clay used in pottery and building construction.
b. Ceramic wares made of this material.
A brownish orange.

Origin:

Origin: Italian

Origin: : terra, earth (from Latin terra; see terrace)

Origin: + cotta, baked, cooked (from Latin cocta, feminine past participle of coquere, to cook; see pek^w- in Indo-European roots)

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