Ceramics Vocab

Clay

fine-grained earth materials made from decomposing rock

Ceramics

art and science of making things out of clay made permanent with a temperature of 1300 F

Elasticity

the clay’s ability to be maneuvered without breaking

Wedging

Kneading clay to get ride of any air bubbles

Pinching

making a vessel by squeezing the clay

Coiling

making an object out of stacked clay ropes

Scoring

Putting small cuts in clay in order to hold pieces together

Slip

very watery clay that is applied to scoring to hold separate parts together

slab

a flat piece of clay

leather-hard

partially dry clay that can still be carved but cannot be bent

greenware

dry, unfired clay that is very fragile

Bone-dry

clay that is completely dry and ready to be put in the kiln

Kiln

an oven where clay is heated to make the clay permanent and strong

Firing

heating clay object in a kiln

Bisque

unglazed clay that has been fired in the kiln at a low temperature so it is ready to be glazed

Glaze

a glass coat on a ceramic body applied to bisque fired clay

Stoneware

very strong and waterproof ceramics that were fired at a high temperature