Clay
[kleɪ] or [kle]
Definition
(noun.) United States politician responsible for the Missouri Compromise between free and slave states (1777-1852).
(noun.) United States general who commanded United States forces in Europe from 1945 to 1949 and who oversaw the Berlin airlift (1897-1978).
(noun.) a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired.
Inputed by Glenda--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) A soft earth, which is plastic, or may be molded with the hands, consisting of hydrous silicate of aluminium. It is the result of the wearing down and decomposition, in part, of rocks containing aluminous minerals, as granite. Lime, magnesia, oxide of iron, and other ingredients, are often present as impurities.
(n.) Earth in general, as representing the elementary particles of the human body; hence, the human body as formed from such particles.
(v. t.) To cover or manure with clay.
(v. t.) To clarify by filtering through clay, as sugar.
Checked by Gardner
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. Argillaceous earth (consisting principally of alumina and silica).
Typist: Waldo
Definition
n. a tenacious ductile earth: earth in general: the human body: short for clay-pipe a tobacco-pipe made of baked clay.—v.t. to purify with clay as sugar.—adjs. Clay′-brained (Shak.) stupid; Clay′-cold cold as clay lifeless.—n. Clay′-eat′er one addicted to chewing a fatty clay—in Brazil and elsewhere.—adjs. Clayed clay-like; Clay′ey made of clay: covered with clay.—n. Clay′-ground ground consisting mainly of clay.—adj. Clay′ish of the nature of clay.—ns. Clay′-marl a whitish chalky clay; Clay′-mill a mill for preparing clay; Clay′-slate an argillaceous rock splitting readily into thin sheets; Clay′stone one of the concretionary nodules in alluvial deposits.—Wet one's clay to drink.
Inputed by Joanna
Unserious Contents or Definition
To dream of clay, denotes isolation of interest and probable insolvency. To dig in a clay bank, foretells you will submit to extraordinary demands of enemies. If you dig in an ash bank and find clay, unfortunate surprises will combat progressive enterprises or new work. Your efforts are likely to be misdirected after this dream. Women will find this dream unfavorable in love, social and business states, and misrepresentations will overwhelm them.
Checker: Melanie
Examples
- It was a clay pipe, and its colour was reddish. Thomas Hardy. The Return of the Native.
- Not only this, but on the table I found a small ball of black dough or clay, with specks of something which looks like sawdust in it. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- Why, I suppose so from the colour of the clay upon your bag and on your dress. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- The lime was added as a flux, and acted to unite with itself the sand, clay and other impurities to form a slag or scoria. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- A little cup is then fastened to the tree with a piece of soft clay to press the cup against it, and the juice runs into this cup. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- Although they had clay available, and although there are several Pal?olithic clay figures on record, they had _no pottery_. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
- In some the pug mill is arranged horizontally to feed out the clay in the form of a long horizontal slab, which is cut up into proper lengths to form the bricks. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- After all, Watson, said Holmes, reaching up his hand for his clay pipe, I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
- On the palm were three little pyramids of black, doughy clay. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- The outsides of the buildings somewhat resembled the cement houses which have been put up in later days, a coat of clay being spread on the outside walls and carefully smoothed off. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- After trying all known methods to get through, it was decided to bake this wet clay by means of intense heat. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- The method was no doubt suggested to Clay's ingenious mind by the colour of his accomplice's hair. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
- Finely pulverized common clay, well mixed with Spanish white, makes reddish stone color. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- Later I went to work--imprinted the stamp on clay bottles, before they were baked. D. H. Lawrence. Women in Love .
- Odd vases made by his own hand from the clay of the region held beautiful tropical flowers. Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Edited by Ian