Meaning of "clay" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CLAY

Old English clǣg; related to Old High German klīa, Norwegian kli, Latin glūs glue, Greek gloios sticky oil.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF CLAY

clay  [kleɪ]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CLAY

Clay is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb clay in English.

WHAT DOES CLAY MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Clay

Clay is a fine-grained soil that combines one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure. Electron microscope photograph of smectite clay - magnification 23,500 Clays are distinguished from other fine-grained soils by differences in size and mineralogy. Silts, which are fine-grained soils that do not include clay minerals, tend to have larger particle sizes than clays, but there is some overlap in both particle size and other physical properties, and there are many naturally occurring deposits which include silts and also clay. The distinction between silt and clay varies by discipline. Geologists and soil scientists usually consider the separation to occur at a particle size of 2 µm, sedimentologists often use 4-5 μm, and colloid chemists use 1 μm. Geotechnical engineers distinguish between silts and clays based on the plasticity properties of the soil, as measured by the soils' Atterberg limits. ISO 14688 grades clay particles as being smaller than 2 μm and silts larger.

Definition of clay in the English dictionary

The first definition of clay in the dictionary is a very fine-grained material that consists of hydrated aluminium silicate, quartz, and organic fragments and occurs as sedimentary rocks, soils, and other deposits. It becomes plastic when moist but hardens on heating and is used in the manufacture of bricks, cement, ceramics, etc related adjective figuline. Other definition of clay is earth or mud in general. Clay is also the material of the human body.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO CLAY

PRESENT

Present

I clay

you clay

he/she/it clays

we clay

you clay

they clay

Present continuous

I am claying

you are claying

he/she/it is claying

we are claying

you are claying

they are claying

Present perfect

I have clayed

you have clayed

he/she/it has clayed

we have clayed

you have clayed

they have clayed

Present perfect continuous

I have been claying

you have been claying

he/she/it has been claying

we have been claying

you have been claying

they have been claying

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I clayed

you clayed

he/she/it clayed

we clayed

you clayed

they clayed

Past continuous

I was claying

you were claying

he/she/it was claying

we were claying

you were claying

they were claying

Past perfect

I had clayed

you had clayed

he/she/it had clayed

we had clayed

you had clayed

they had clayed

Past perfect continuous

I had been claying

you had been claying

he/she/it had been claying

we had been claying

you had been claying

they had been claying

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will clay

you will clay

he/she/it will clay

we will clay

you will clay

they will clay

Future continuous

I will be claying

you will be claying

he/she/it will be claying

we will be claying

you will be claying

they will be claying

Future perfect

I will have clayed

you will have clayed

he/she/it will have clayed

we will have clayed

you will have clayed

they will have clayed

Future perfect continuous

I will have been claying

you will have been claying

he/she/it will have been claying

we will have been claying

you will have been claying

they will have been claying

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would clay

you would clay

he/she/it would clay

we would clay

you would clay

they would clay

Conditional continuous

I would be claying

you would be claying

he/she/it would be claying

we would be claying

you would be claying

they would be claying

Conditional perfect

I would have clay

you would have clay

he/she/it would have clay

we would have clay

you would have clay

they would have clay

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been claying

you would have been claying

he/she/it would have been claying

we would have been claying

you would have been claying

they would have been claying

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you clay
we let´s clay
you clay

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to clay

Past participle

clayed

Present Participle

claying

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

TRANSLATION OF CLAY

Find out the translation of clay to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of clay from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «clay» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 粘土
• Translator English - Spanish: arcilla
• English: clay
• Translator English - Hindi: मिट्टी
• Translator English - Arabic: صَلْصال
• Translator English - Russian: глина
• Translator English - Portuguese: argila
• Translator English - Bengali: কাদামাটি
• Translator English - French: argile
• Translator English - Malay: Tanah liat
• Translator English - German: Lehm
• Translator English - Japanese: 粘土
• Translator English - Korean: 점토
• Translator English - Javanese: Lempung
• Translator English - Vietnamese: đất sét
• Translator English - Tamil: களிமண்
• Translator English - Marathi: चिकणमाती
• Translator English - Turkish: kil
• Translator English - Italian: argilla
• Translator English - Polish: glina
• Translator English - Ukrainian: глина
• Translator English - Romanian: lut
• Translator English - Greek: πηλός
• Translator English - Afrikaans: klei
• Translator English - Swedish: lera
• Translator English - Norwegian: leire

10 QUOTES WITH «CLAY»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word clay.

1

Anne Beatts

There are some famous people, and I've met them, who you might think are great, and then you meet them, and you discover that they not only have feet but heads of clay.

2

Bjorn Borg

You know growing up in Sweden meant we had a lot of rain when we played tennis. We were taught on clay courts but because of the weather, we had to go indoors a lot.

3

Robert Boswell

I write a ridiculous number of drafts. The characters change and grow through the drafting, and my understanding of them deepens. Creating characters in a novel is like shooting at clay pigeons and missing, and then missing more productively as the narrative continues.

4

Daniel Boulud

I love to create, and to me, the ultimate freedom of expression is a blank canvas or a block of clay to capture whatever emotions your imagination gives it.

5

Peter Carey

One has to be able to twist and change and distort characters, play with them like clay, so everything fits together. Real people don't permit you to do that.

6

Rachel Cusk

There is always shame in the creation of an expressive work, whether it's a book or a clay pot. Every artist worries about how they will be seen by others through their work. When you create, you aspire to do justice to yourself, to remake yourself, and there is always the fear that you will expose the very thing that you hoped to transform.

7

Jo Durie

That result at the French was a big break for me. I had been playing quite well up until that point but nobody really expected me to do well on clay - it was my worst surface. I had had some success on the clay but I was a set and a break up in the semi-final against Jausovec and maybe the enormity of the occasion got to me.

8

Erika Eleniak

An actor is like a piece of clay: you just keep moulding me. Even people who work with you every day want to put you in a little box.

9

Tamara Feldman

I like dirty boys. Mechanics, construction workers, artists who get paint and clay everywhere. They gotta have rough hands.

10

Jonathan Safran Foer

There are two kinds of sculptures. There's the kind that subtracts: Michelangelo starts with a block of marble and chips away. And then there is the kind that adds, building with clay, piling it on. The way I write novels is to keep piling on and piling on and piling on.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CLAY»

Discover the use of clay in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to clay and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

The Complete Book of Polymer Clay

This encyclopedic book by renowned expert Lisa Pavelka includes the latest techniques, handy tips, and trade secrets. Pavelka presents a sweeping overview of materials, how-to fundamentals, and construction techniques.

Lisa Pavelka, 2010

The Polymer Clay Cookbook: Tiny Food Jewelry to Whip Up and Wear

A collection of 20 "recipes" for simple realistic pieces of polymer clay jewelry--including charms, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and more--all inspired by favorite foods and accompanied by 200 full-color photos Original.

Jessica Partain, Susan Partain, 2009

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (with bonus ...

Spanning continents and eras, this superb book by one of America’s finest writers remains one of the defining novels of our modern American age.

Michael Chabon, 2012

The Polymer Clay Techniques Book

A step-by-step guide to creating different crafts, such as buttons, beads, and mosaics, using polymer clay

Sue Heaser, 1999

Henry Clay: Statesman for the Union

Examines the life and work of the statesman and discusses his repeated failed attempts to become president

Robert Vincent Remini, 1993

400 Polymer Clay Designs: A Collection of Dynamic & Colorful ...

Luann Udell’s faux-ivory artifacts take their inspiration from the prehistoric art in France’s Lascaux Caves. It’s the largest—and finest—book of contemporary polymer art available anywhere.

Suzanne J. E. Tourtillott, 2004

Clay Cures

Clay Cures is a book that provides an insight into the healing powers of clay tracing historical and academic evidence and also explains how to effectively use clay with optimum benefits.

Anjou Musafir, Pascal Chazot, 2006

Clay Tobacco Pipes

The aim of this book is to answer these questions and to record the part the humble 'clay' once played in our society. About the author Eric G. Ayto has manufactured clay tobacco pipes as a craft potter since 1972.

Eric G. Ayto, 1994

The Craft and Art of Clay: A Complete Potter's Handbook

Widely considered to be the most comprehensive introduction to ceramics available, this book contains numerous step-by-step illustrations of various ceramic techniques to guide the beginner as well as inspirational ceramic pieces from ...

Susan Peterson, Jan Peterson, 2003

Polymer Clay Color Inspirations: Techniques and Jewelry ...

Provides instruction and inspiration for using polymer clay as a learning tool to develop personalized palettes, with each chapter explaining a specific color principal and including a related “studio tool” learning exercise or ...

Lindly Haunani, Maggie Maggio, 2009

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CLAY»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term clay is used in the context of the following news items.

DIY Bentonite Clay Mask + 7 Dynamic Uses

I have very sensitive skin so this DIY Bentonite clay mask was the perfect addition to my weekly skincare regiment. This clay mask consist of two ... «One Green Planet, Jul 15»

Heyman: Red Sox Not Inclined To Trade Clay Buchholz

BOSTON (CBS) — With Clay Buchholz on a bit of a hot streak right now (4-0 with a 0.87 ERA over his last four starts), chatter has begun to ... «CBS Local, Jul 15»

School Board filings for Craighead, Clay, Greene and Poinsett …

Below are the filings for Craighead, Clay, Greene and Poinsett Counties. CRAIGHEAD COUNTY: Bay: Nathan McMasters; BIC: Todd Edwards, ... «WMC Action News 5, Jul 15»

Preseason Football Photo Shoot: Clay-Chalkville

Clay-Chalkville head coach Jerry Hood (center) is surrounded by players (kneeling left to right) Desmond Williams and Terry Brown; (back row ... «MaxPreps, Jul 15»

John Clay: Kentucky needs six football wins, but it takes an optimist …

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops gathered his team in a huddle during a time out in the second quarter of the Mississippi State at Kentucky at ... «Lexington Herald Leader, Jul 15»

No-kill Clay City shelter seeks help recovering after flash flood, mud …

A puppy got a bath Monday at Brianna's Sanctuary and Rescue, which was hit by two flash floods Friday. The no-kill shelter in Clay City sits ... «Lexington Herald Leader, Jul 15»

State Trooper Rescues Woman From Clay Co.High Waters

A Kentucky State Trooper was on routine patrol in Clay County when he received a call about a woman whose vehicle had become stranded in ... «LEX18 Lexington KY News, Jul 15»

Arrest made in Clay County hit-and-run

Roenisch has a long list of arrests and traffic citations in Clay County. He's been arrested for purse-snatching and twice for forgery. He's had ... «WJXT Jacksonville, Jul 15»

Clay and Platte: Your calendar of community events

Clay County 4-H Fair: Fun for the entire family; event includes a fashion revue, pet shows, ice cream social, family picnic, awards program, ... «Kansas City Star, Jul 15»

Authorities identify man killed in Clay Twp. crash

Police have identified Manuel Freeman as the 40-year-old Mount Clemens man killed in a traffic crash in Clay Township Saturday. The crash ... «Port Huron Times Herald, Jul 15»