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Definition of clay

clay

/kleɪ/
clay

Plural:clays
•
Adjective:clayey
•
Past Simple:clayed
•
Past Participle:clayed
•
Present Participle:claying
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clay Lexical Profile

clay Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

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.

Example

"The artisan molded the wet clay into a beautiful vase before placing it in the kiln."


2

A tennis court surface made of crushed shale, stone, or brick.

Example

"Rafael Nadal is famous for his exceptional dominance on clay."


3

The substance of the human body; mortal flesh.

Example

"The poet wrote of the soul escaping its mortal clay to find peace in the afterlife."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• verb

1

To treat, cover, or mix with clay (especially to improve soil or waterproof a surface).

Example

"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.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Clay. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 17, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/clay
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