terra cotta

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A hard semifired waterproof ceramic clay used in pottery and building construction.
2. n. Ceramic wares made of this material.
3. n. A brownish orange.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A hard pottery made for use as a building-material and for similar purposes, of much finer quality and harder baked than brick; in the usual acceptation of the term, all unglazed pottery, or any article made of such pottery. It differs in color according to the ingredients employed. The color is usually the same throughout the paste; but terra-cotta is made also with an enameled surface, and even with a surface specially colored without enamel. Earthenware similar to this, but from materials chosen and prepared with special care, is made in the form of artistic works, as basreliefs, statuettes, etc.
2. n. A work in terra-cotta, especially a work of art: specifically applied to small figures (statuettes) or figurines in this material, which have held an important place in art both in ancient and in modern times, and are of peculiar interest in the study of Greek art, which is presented by them in a more popular and familiar light than is possible with works of greater pretensions. See Tanagra figurine (under figurine), and see also cut under Etruscan.

Wiktionary

1. n. alternative spelling of terracotta.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Baked clay; a kind of hard pottery used for statues, architectural decorations, figures, vases, and the like.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a hard unglazed brownish-red earthenware