How to Use terra-cotta in a Sentence

terra-cotta

noun
Definition of terra-cottanext
  • The owner of the hoard buried it in a terra-cotta pot, which served as a sort of piggy bank.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 1 May 2023
  • Many of the walls, wardrobes and tables are painted light hues of sand, pink and terra-cotta to reflect the hues in the Portuguese landscape.
    — Lindsey Tramuta Roxanne Fequiere Luke Fortney Gisela Williams Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Stay at the Mezzatore, a 16th-century terra-cotta jewel perched on the edge of the Gulf of Naples.
    — Leena Kim, Town & Country, 2 Mar. 2023
  • The color adapts to the weather as the terra-cotta shifts from pale gray to dark brown depending on cloud cover and time of day.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 Dec. 2024
  • The fit is also cut to flatter, and comes in a basic black, navy, forest green, or a terra-cotta brown.
    — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2023
  • The outside is faux-rustic, capped with terra-cotta roof tiles.
    — Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023
  • Bathrooms painted in terra-cotta brown could boost a home's sale price by $1,624.
    — Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 20 June 2023
  • For Welch, go-to colors include pink, sage, and yellow, with accents of brown and terra-cotta.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024
  • The stone walls, terra-cotta floors, and wooden beams of medieval cottages have been preserved.
    — Susan Portnoy, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2023
  • From cool gray to warm terra-cotta, neutral paint colors can transform any space.
    — Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2023
  • Outside, in the verdant herb garden, local breads are baked en plein air each morning in terra-cotta ovens.
    — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Often paired with other earth tones like terra-cotta, orange, brown, and red, olive green is like a softer, warmer version of black.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Feb. 2025
  • All the rain that touches the skyscraper’s terra-cotta and glass facade is transferred to a pair of giant concrete bathtubs and pumped to the cooling towers above.
    — Ben Ryder Howe, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023
  • Terra-Cotta Orchid Pots Porous terra-cotta allows air and water to pass through the walls of these stone-like pots freely.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2024
  • Like other citrus, lemons are prone to root rot and are easier to care for in a terra-cotta pot that can wick excess water off the soil, Fleming says.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Oct. 2024
  • These were mixed by hand on-site by a local painter until the perfect palette was achieved—a rich cream that blended with the stone floors, and warm, earthy shades such as terra-cotta and Naples yellow.
    — Ingrid Abramovitch, ELLE Decor, 4 Aug. 2023
  • Here, the cool blue kitchen backsplash complements the warm terra-cotta tiles underfoot.
    — Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2023
  • At this stage, Garner transfers the potatoes, which have turned a deep terra-cotta brown, into a greased baking dish and cooks at 350 degrees until warmed through.
    — Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2024
  • Its terra-cotta walls and spired boxwoods signal the style instantly, and inside are huge arched wooden doors and bespoke kitchen tiling.
    — Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2024
  • Place the stem bundle inside a terra-cotta pot, add straw around the pot sides for insulation, and then position the pot on its side about 3 feet above the ground in a sunny section of your yard.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2024
  • For Labelle, neutral is now a loose term, one that could mean terra-cotta or sage, if handled with the sensitive restraint the designer has made her name by.
    — Elizabeth Fazzare, ELLE Decor, 8 Apr. 2023
  • The terra-cotta and hand-blown glass design makes a gorgeous addition to your garden, indoors or outdoors.
    — Janae McKenzie, House Beautiful, 5 Sep. 2023
  • This patio has a balmy summer feel thanks to rattan furniture and vibrant terra-cotta walls.
    — Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2023
  • The terra-cotta façade anchors the design in one of New York’s great architectural traditions.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Included in the trove are a Guanyin statue, Tang-dynasty terra-cotta figures, and porcelain objects from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 1 Aug. 2024
  • What really sets these apart are the bold, vibrant shades, with the striking Jungle Gems green and earthy Tiger Queen terra-cotta catching our eyes (pun intended).
    — Siena Gagliano, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Seven terra-cotta warriors were part of the exhibit loaned to the Franklin Institute, each insured for $4.5 million.
    — Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023
  • Plaster, like clay, wax, terra-cotta, or a drawing, is an intermediate step in sculpture and sometimes the most vivid.
    — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024
  • Simpson’s contribution to the 17-acre site is a terra-cotta sculpture of a child on the shoulders of a caretaker, a simple orb replacing the adult’s stomach.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2024
  • The primary bedroom is dramatic too, with deep green plaster walls, a terra-cotta Ivan Da Silva Bruhns rug, and bamboo blinds.
    — Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 12 July 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terra-cotta.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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