Ceramics
/səˈræmɪks/noun
The art, science, and manufacture of objects made from fired clay and other inorganic, nonmetallic materials.
Did you know?Athens’ Kerameikos district—named from the Greek word for pottery—was both the city’s potters’ quarter and one of its most important cemeteries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European (proposed)
PIE
*ker-
“To burn or heat; a possible but debated ancestral root connected with Greek pottery terminology.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kéramos (κέραμος)
“Potter’s clay, earthenware, or a clay vessel.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
keramikós (κεραμικός)
“Of pottery or made of clay.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
ceramicus
“Relating to pottery or earthenware; borrowed from Greek.”
18th Century
English
ceramic
“Made of pottery or fired clay.”
19th Century–Modern English
English
ceramics
“The art, manufacture, and study of ceramic objects and materials.”