Vocabulary for Ceramics
1. Ceramics- refers to anything made from clay.
2. Clay- an earthy mineral substance that is plastic when wet and hard and
rock-like when fired.
3. Greenware- ceramics which have not been fired.
4. Leather-hard - a condition of clay in which it is stiff, but is still damp.
(perfect stage for carving)
5. Bone Dry- the condition of unfired clay that has no absorbed moisture other
than natural humidity.
6. Kiln- an oven for firing clay.
7. Firing- the heating of clay or glaze to a specific temperature.
8. Bisque- clay that has been fired once, usually unglazed.
9. Glaze- chemicals applied to a clay surface that melt together when fired and form a
decorative and protective glass surface.
10. Pinch method- when clay is pulled and pinched in order to shape an object.
The oldest form of hand-building.
11. Coil method- when long ropes of clay of equal thickness are used to build a
ceramic object.
12. Slab method- when flat pieces of clay of equal thickness are cut into
shapes and joined together to create an object.
13. Plasticity- that quality of clay which allows it to be easily manipulated and
still maintain its shape.
14. Wedging- the process of kneading, folding and rolling clay to remove air
pockets and to make clay smooth and consistent.
15. Score- the process of roughening up the edges of clay with a tool in order to
join two pieces of clay together.
16. Slip- watery clay used to “glue” two pieces of clay together. It is also a fluid
suspension of clay in water used in slip casting.
17. Grog- clay which has been fired and ground into granules. It is added to clay bodies
to give strength and texture.
18. Potters wheel- a machine that aids one in forming pottery.
19.Throw- a term used when making pottery on a potters wheel.