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terracotta

Pronunciation: /ˌtɛrəˈkɒtə/

Translate terracotta | into French | into German | into Italian
Definition of terracotta

noun

[mass noun]
  • a type of fired clay, typically of a brownish-red colour and unglazed, used as an ornamental building material and in modelling: [as modifier]:terracotta pots
  • [count noun] a statuette or other object made of terracotta.
  • a strong brownish-red or brownish-orange colour: shades of green and terracotta [as modifier]:warm, mellow terracotta tones

Origin:

early 18th century: from Italian terra cotta 'baked earth', from Latin terra cocta

Spelling help

Spell terracotta with a double r and a double t: it is from an Italian phrase meaning 'baked earth'.

terracotta in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of terracotta in the US English dictionary

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