Adjective

ceramic (not comparable)

Positive ceramic

Comparative not comparable

Superlative none (absolute)

1. made of material produced by the high temperature firing of inorganic, nonmetallic rocks and minerals.

   A ceramic vase stood on the table.

Noun

Singular ceramic

Plural countable and uncountable; plural ceramics

ceramic (countable and uncountable; plural ceramics)

1. (uncountable) A hard brittle material that is produced through burning of nonmetallic minerals at high temperatures

   Joan made the dish of ceramic.

2. (countable) An object made of this material

   Joe had dozens of ceramics in his apartment.

A ceramic is an inorganic, non-metallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous (e.g., a glass). Because most common ceramics are crystalline, the definition of ceramic is often restricted to inorganic crystalline materials, as opposed to the non-crystalline glasses.

The earliest ceramics were pottery objects made from clay, either by itself or mixed with other materials. Ceramics now include domestic, industrial and building products and art objects. In the 20th century, new ceramic materials were developed for use in advanced ceramic engineering; for example, in semiconductors.

The word ceramic comes from the Greek word κεραμικός (keramikos) meaning pottery, which is said to derive from the Indo-European word ker, meaning heat. Ceramic may be used as an adjective describing a material, product or process; or as a singular noun, or, more commonly, as a plural noun, ceramics.