pottery
gb/pˈɑtɚi/ us/pˈɑtɚi/
A2
English
~ 4500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Objects made from fired clay
Things like pots and bowls made from clay and baked in a hot oven.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'pottery' (the objects) with 'ceramic' (the material) or 'porcelain' (a specific fine type of ceramic).
Synonyms
ceramics (A broader term that can include both artistic and industrial clay products.)
|
earthenware (Refers specifically to pottery made from a certain porous type of clay.)
Antonyms
metalwork (Opposite in material and craft method; uses metal instead of clay.)
Collocations
pottery class
|pottery studio
|pottery wheel
|handmade pottery
|ancient pottery
Themes
art
|crafts
|daily life
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She collects handmade pottery from local artisans.
- The museum has a large collection of ancient Greek pottery.
- He learned to make pottery during a summer workshop.
- Pottery from that region is known for its bright colors.
- They displayed their pottery at the craft fair.
Learner examples
- I bought some pottery at the market.
- We saw old pottery in the museum.
- My friend makes pottery at home.
- She is learning pottery in school.
Noun
B1
action
2
The craft of making pottery
The work of making things from clay and baking them until they are hard.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'pottery' (the activity) with 'sculpture', which usually refers to shaping stone, metal, or wood.
Synonyms
ceramic art (More formal or artistic term for the creative side of pottery-making.)
|
clay work (Informal phrase for shaping items from clay.)
Antonyms
glassblowing (A different craft involving shaping molten glass instead of clay.)
Collocations
pottery making
|pottery workshop
|pottery skills
|pottery techniques
Themes
art
|crafts
|arts_entertainment
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She teaches pottery at the community center.
- Pottery requires patience and attention to detail.
- He took up pottery as a relaxing hobby.
- Pottery has been practiced for thousands of years.
- They offer evening classes in pottery.
Learner examples
- I want to learn pottery.
- Pottery is my favorite hobby.
- She does pottery every weekend.
- He started pottery last year.
Grammar
Expressions
piece of pottery
1/pˈis əv pˈɑtɚi/
fixed phrase
One ceramic item
One object made from clay and baked hard.
Examples
- This piece of pottery is over 500 years old.
- She sold each piece of pottery for $20.
pottery class
1/pˈɑtɚi klˈæs/
fixed phrase
Lesson in making pottery
A class where people learn to make things from clay.
Examples
- I signed up for a pottery class this fall.
- Pottery classes are held twice a week at the art center.
pottery wheel
1/pˈɑtɚi wˈil/
fixed phrase
Device for shaping clay on a wheel
A round table that turns, used to make pots from clay.
Examples
- The instructor showed us how to use the pottery wheel.
- He centered the clay on the pottery wheel before shaping it.