a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
United States general who commanded United States forces in Europe from 1945 to 1949 and who oversaw the Berlin airlift (1897-1978)
United States politician responsible for the Missouri Compromise between free and slave states (1777-1852)
"There is no such definition for the word "clay" that refers to a U.S. politician, as the term itself means a fine-grained natural earth material; however, if you are looking for an example of Henry Clay (the actual historical figure described), one might say: The senator known as the Great Compromiser used his political skill to pass the Missouri Compromise and keep the nation united."
A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.
"The potter rolled out the wet clay on her wheel to form a delicate vase before firing it in the kiln."
In plain English: Clay is a soft, wet dirt that you can mold into shapes before it dries and hardens.
"The children played in the soft clay at the bottom of the garden."
Usage: Use clay to refer to the fine-grained earthy material that becomes moldable when wet and hardens after firing. Do not confuse it with similar sounding words like "clad," which means covered or equipped, or "cleat," a type of hook or spike.
To add clay to, to spread clay onto.
"The potter carefully added more wet clay to the rim of the vase to smooth out the uneven edge."
In plain English: To clay means to shape something by pressing it together with your hands.
"The wet mud began to clay together when we stepped on it."
Usage: Do not use "clay" as a verb in modern English; it is an archaic term that no longer appears in standard usage. Instead, simply state that you are adding or spreading clay if describing the physical action of working with the material.
A surname, from occupations.
"The local history club is holding a meeting to discuss the new mayor, who happens to be named Clay."
The word "clay" comes from Old English clǣġ, which traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to glue or stick together." This ancient connection explains why the related words for clay in languages like Russian and German sound similar to the English word for glue.