terra sigillata

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin terra sigillāta (literally “sealed, stamped earth”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌtɛɹə ˌsɪdʒɪˈleɪtə/, /ˌtɛɹə ˌsɪdʒɪˈlɑːtə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌtɛɹə ˌsɪdʒəˈleɪtə/
• Rhymes: -eɪtə, -ɑːtə

Noun

terra sigillata (uncountable)

1. A type of astringent earth or clay originally from the Greek islands, formerly used as a medicine and antidote.
   • 1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society, published 2016, page 77:

     Terra sigillata (sealed earth) was a greasy clay, containing silica, alumina, chalk, magnesia and oxide of iron, found on the Greek islands of Lemnos, Melos and Samos.

2. (archaeology) A type of fine, red Roman pottery made from the first to the third centuries AD in Gaul.

   Hyponym: Samian ware

3. (pottery) A type of fine clay slip produced by mixing clay-water mixture with deflocculant and decanting the resulting water.
   • 2024, Sumi von Dassow, “Terra Sigillata 101: How to Make, Apply, and Troubleshoot Terra Sig”, in Ceramic Arts Network Daily‎^[1], retrieved 23 August 2024:

     Terra sigillata, or ‘terra sig’ for short, is made by mixing a suitable clay with water and a deflocculant and leaving it to stand until the heavier particles of clay settle out.

References

• Medicinal clay on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin terra sigillāta (literally “sealed, stamped earth”).

Noun

terra sigillata f (plural terre sigillate)

1. (usually uncountable, archaeology) terra sigillata (type of fine, red Roman pottery)

   Synonym: ceramica sigillata