ball clay

noun

A type of clay that commonly consists of 20-80% kaolinite, 10-25% mica, and 6-65% quartz.

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Meanings

nounball clay (usually uncountable, plural ball clays)

plural ball clays

  1. uncountableusuallyA type of clay that commonly consists of 20-80% kaolinite, 10-25% mica, and 6-65% quartz.

Origin

Clay of this kind found in Dorset and Devon, England, used to be cut into balls that weighed 30 pounds.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ball clay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20clay

MLA

“ball clay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20clay. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ball clay,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20clay.

Source: ball clay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.