ceramic

ceramic — adjective

1. refers to an item produced by moulding damp clay into a particular form and then

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

refers to an item produced by moulding damp clay into a particular form and then placing it in an extremely hot kiln so that it becomes a hard, solid material — for example, a ceramic tile, a ceramic bowl, or a ceramic mug.

Example

The kitchen floor is covered with white ceramic tiles that are easy to clean.

attributive: ceramic + tile (common household item)

Aiko served the rice in a hand-painted ceramic bowl that her grandmother had made.

attributive: ceramic + bowl with descriptive modifier

Common collocations
  • ceramic tile
  • ceramic bowl
  • ceramic plate
  • ceramic mug
  • ceramic vase
  • ceramic figurine
  • ceramic industry
Synonyms
  • earthenware

    specifically refers to unglazed or minimally glazed fired clay, usually coarser and less refined than general ceramic

  • porcelain

    a type of white, fine-grained ceramic fired at extremely high temperatures and often translucent

  • terracotta

    a brownish-red unglazed ceramic material, typically used for flower pots and roof tiles

Grammar Patterns

ceramic + noun

Usage Note

This adjective is almost always used attributively (before a noun). It has no comparative or superlative forms — a thing is either made of fired clay or it is not.

Common Mistakes

The bowl is more ceramic than that one.
The bowl is ceramic, but that one is made of plastic.
Ceramic is an absolute quality; it cannot be compared.
I bought a ceramic.
I bought a ceramic bowl.
The adjective form needs a noun after it. For the object alone, use 'a ceramic piece' or 'a ceramic object'.

ceramic — noun

Word family

  • ceramics
    nounB1
  • ceramicist
    nounC1
  • ceramist
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe fired-clay products, but they differ in material quality and usage. 'Earthenware' refers to porous clay objects fired at relatively low temperatures — it is the coarsest and least durable type; common in everyday flower pots and rustic dishes. 'Stoneware' is fired hotter than earthenware, making it denser, stronger, and waterproof without glazing — typical for dinner plates and cooking pots. 'Porcelain' is the finest and hardest, fired at the highest temperatures until it becomes white, smooth, and sometimes translucent — used for fine tableware and decorative figurines. 'Terracotta' is a specific type of earthenware with a characteristic reddish-brown colour, used mainly for garden pots and roof tiles. If you are describing an object generally, 'ceramic' is the broadest term and will almost always be correct.

earthenwareporcelain ↗stonewareterracotta

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • handmade ceramic
  • glazed ceramic
  • fired ceramic
  • the art of ceramics

Prepositions

  • in ceramic
  • of ceramic
  • out of ceramic

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

Ceramic comes from the ancient Greek word 'keramos', meaning potter's clay or a potter's vessel. It entered English in the 19th century through French 'céramique', initially as a scholarly term in archaeology and fine arts before broadening into everyday use for any fired-clay product.