ball clay

American

noun

Ceramics.

a fine dark kaolinic clay that turns white or nearly white when fired, used in the manufacture of a wide variety of ceramic wares in combination with other clays for its exceptional bonding properties and plasticity.

Etymology

Origin of ball clay

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kim was still working in animation when she first tried ceramics at Ball Clay Studio in Highland Park, which is now closed.

From Los Angeles Times

For earthenware or china, the English potters use only two sorts of clays: the ball clay, also called blue clay, and the kaolin.

From Project Gutenberg

The ball clay, exported from Teignmouth and Poole, comes from the lower tertiary clays of Devon and Dorset, and is remarkably good and plastic, the quantity of iron being comparatively very small.

From Project Gutenberg

The ball clay from Poole is dug in the neighbourhood of Wareham, by Mr. Pike.

From Project Gutenberg

In that state it is very white, and although not so plastic as the ball clay, contains a little more alumina and less iron, which accounts for its resisting much better the action of fire.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023