terra cotta
1
5.0
- noun
- /ˌtɛrə ˈkɒtə/
:
color terracota
- The E's bridge always seemed a bit visually flat and dull to me (the terra cotta/earth tones were too '80s for my taste), but nevertheless I wish them luck in their endeavor.
- terra cotta color
- terra cotta tones
- terra cotta red
Examples
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The ceramics exhibit showcased various pieces glazed in rich shades of terra cotta, highlighting their rustic charm.
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This shade you guys truly is just the most gorgeous Terra cotta brown neutral.
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It is there, Terra cotta bronzer, and it just immediately makes you look like you spent the day at the beach.
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Emerging from housewares, she came upon three wide, low steps covered in a dull, terra-cotta-colored version of the grooved rubber on the bus steps.
Fiction book (1996) -
The artist chose a vibrant terra cotta color for her new painting to evoke warmth and earthiness.
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Many homes feature terra cotta-colored roofs that complement the surrounding landscape.
Synonyms
1
3.5
A natural soft color like brown or green that looks like soil
How Orange
Surface Forms
Morphology
terra + cotta
The components 'terra' (earth) and 'cotta' (from Italian 'cooked'/'baked') combine compositionally to mean 'baked earth' or baked clay, which directly describes the brownish‑orange color. This is a transparent, loaned compound whose literal image maps clearly onto the color, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings can readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Terra cotta was first the name for baked clay that has a warm, brownish-orange color, since the fired clay looks that color. That's why terra cotta also means the 'brownish-orange' color you see on tiles, walls, and fabric.