clay
clay Lexical Profile
clay Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A stiff, sticky fine-grained earth, typically yellow, red, or bluish-gray in color, that can be molded when wet and is dried and baked to make bricks, pottery, and ceramics.
"The artisan molded the wet clay into a beautiful vase before placing it in the kiln."
A tennis court surface made of crushed shale, stone, or brick.
"Rafael Nadal is famous for his exceptional dominance on clay."
The substance of the human body; mortal flesh.
"The poet wrote of the soul escaping its mortal clay to find peace in the afterlife."
• verb
To treat, cover, or mix with clay (especially to improve soil or waterproof a surface).
"The agricultural engineers clayed the sandy soil to improve its moisture retention."
• Rhymes for clay
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'clǣg', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'klei'. Ultimately derived from an Indo-European root meaning 'to stick' or 'smear'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.