name · noun · verb · 30 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/kleɪ/
rhymes with -eɪ
klā
[kl̥eɪ]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K L EY1
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
A surname originating as an occupation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
name
Meaning 2
A male given name transferred from the surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
name
Meaning 3
A diminutive of the male given name Clayton.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
name
Meaning 4
A number of places in the United States:
A city in Jefferson County, Alabama.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
name
Meaning 5
A number of places in the United States:
A census-designated place in Sacramento County, California.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
name
Meaning 6
A number of places in the United States:
A home rule city in Webster County, Kentucky, named after Henry Clay.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
name
Meaning 7
A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Adair County, Missouri.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
name
Meaning 8
A number of places in the United States:
A town in Onondaga County, New York, named after Henry Clay.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
name
Meaning 9
A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Franklin Township, Jackson County, Ohio.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
name
Meaning 10
A number of places in the United States:
A census-designated place in Burleson County, Texas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
name
Meaning 11
A number of places in the United States:
A town, the county seat of Clay County, West Virginia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
name
Meaning 12
A number of places in the United States:
A ghost town in the town of Komensky, Jackson County, Wisconsin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
name
Meaning 13
A number of places in the United States:
A number of townships in the United States, listed under Clay Township.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
name
Meaning 14
Ellipsis of Clay County.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Land or territory of a country or other political region, especially when subject to territorial claims.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet, humorous, uncountable, usually
Examples
Vilnius is rightful Polish clay.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: soil
Antonyms: none provided
23
noun
Meaning 23
A moth, Mythimna ferrago
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
24
verb
Meaning 24
To add clay to, to spread clay onto.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
25
verb
Meaning 25
To purify using clay.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
1776, Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Book IV, Chapter 7: Of Colonies, Part 2: Causes of Prosperity of New Colonies, They amounted, therefore, to a prohibition, at first of claying or refining sugar for any foreign market, and at present of claying or refining it for the market, which takes off, perhaps, more than nine-tenths of the whole produce.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
26
noun
Meaning 26
the dead body of a human being
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the cadaver was intended for dissection
the end of the police search was the discovery of a corpse
the murderer confessed that he threw the stiff in the river
honor comes to bless the turf that wraps their clay
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cadaver, corpse, stiff, remains
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: body, dead body
Narrower terms: cremains
27
noun
Meaning 27
United States politician responsible for the Missouri Compromise between free and slave states (1777-1852)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Henry Clay, the Great Compromiser
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: politician, politico, pol, political leader
28
noun
Meaning 28
United States general who commanded United States forces in Europe from 1945 to 1949 and who oversaw the Berlin airlift (1897-1978)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Lucius Clay, Lucius DuBignon Clay
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: general, full general
29
noun
Meaning 29
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: soil, dirt
Narrower terms: adobe, argil, china clay, china stone, kaolin, kaoline, porcelain clay, terra alba, red clay, pipeclay, bentonite, fireclay, Kitty Litter, potter's clay, potter's earth, daub
30
noun
Meaning 30
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mud
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: soil, dirt
Narrower terms: bleaching clay, bleaching earth, mud pie, slop, mire
History
Etymology
From a Middle English occupational name for a clay worker, or a habitational name, from Old English clǣġ (“clay”).
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gleyH- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *gloyHós Proto-Germanic *klajjaz Proto-West Germanic *klaij Old English clǣġ Middle English cley English clay From Middle English cley, clay, from Old English clǣġ (“clay”), from Proto-West Germanic *klaij, from Proto-Germanic *klajjaz (“clay”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *gleyH- (“to glue, paste, stick together”). Cognate with Dutch klei (“clay”), Low German Klei (“clay”), German Klei, Danish klæg (“clay”); compare Ancient Greek γλία (glía), Latin glūten (“glue”) (whence ultimately English glue), Russian глина (glina, “clay”). Related also to clag, clog.
Across languages
Translations
257 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Aghwan:
𐕆𐕒𐔾
(hol)
— mineral substance
Ainu:
ヌンペネトイ
(núnpenetoy)
— mineral substance
Akkadian:
𒅎
— mineral substance
Albanian:
lismë
— mineral substance
Albanian:
argjilë
— mineral substance
Albanian:
deltinë
— mineral substance
Northern Altai:
той палаш
(toy palaš)
— mineral substance
Southern Altai:
той
(toy)
— mineral substance
Southern Altai:
балчык
(balčïk)
— mineral substance
Amharic:
ሸክላ
(šäkla)
— mineral substance
Arabic:
طِين
(ṭīn)
— mineral substance
Arabic:
صَلْصَال
(ṣalṣāl)
— mineral substance
Aragonese:
archila
— mineral substance
Armenian:
կավ
(kav)
— mineral substance
Aromanian:
lut
— mineral substance
Assamese:
পংক
(poṅko)
— mineral substance
Asturian:
arciella
— mineral substance
Aymara:
llink'i laq'a
— mineral substance
Azerbaijani:
gil
— mineral substance
Bashkir:
балсыҡ
(balsıq)
— mineral substance
Basque:
buztin
— mineral substance
Belarusian:
глі́на
(hlína)
— mineral substance
Bengali:
মৃত্তিকা
(mrittika)
— mineral substance
Eastern Bontoc:
pora
— mineral substance
Eastern Bontoc:
oknet
— mineral substance
Eastern Bontoc:
loyloy
— mineral substance
Bulgarian:
гли́на
(glína)
— mineral substance
Burmese:
ရွှံ့
(hrwam.)
— mineral substance
Buryat:
шабар
(šabar)
— mineral substance
Carpathian Rusyn:
гли́на
(hlýna)
— mineral substance
Catalan:
argila
— mineral substance
Catalan:
fang
— mineral substance
Cherokee:
ᎦᏓᏆᎵ
(gadaquali)
— mineral substance
Cherokee:
ᎦᏓᏆᎳ
(gadaquala)
— mineral substance
Chinese Cantonese:
黏土
(nim1 tou2)
— mineral substance
Chinese:
黏土
(liâm-thô͘)
— mineral substance
Chinese Mandarin:
黏土
(niántǔ)
— mineral substance
Chuvash:
тӑм
(tăm)
— mineral substance
West Circassian:
етӏагъу
(jetʼağwu)
— mineral substance
Crimean Tatar:
balçıq
— mineral substance
Czech:
jíl
— mineral substance
Czech:
hlína
— mineral substance
Danish:
ler
— mineral substance
Dutch:
klei
— mineral substance
Ifè:
amà
— mineral substance
Esperanto:
argilo
— mineral substance
Estonian:
savi
— mineral substance
Ewe:
anyi
— mineral substance
Faroese:
leir
— mineral substance
Finnish:
savi
— mineral substance
Fon:
kò
— mineral substance
French:
argile
— mineral substance
French:
glaise
— mineral substance
Galician:
arxila
— mineral substance
Galician:
lar
— mineral substance
Galician:
xarzo
— mineral substance
Galician:
toba
— mineral substance
Galician:
xiz
— mineral substance
Galician:
greda
— mineral substance
Gallurese:
alzidda
— mineral substance
Gallurese:
caccavina
— mineral substance
Gallurese:
lugiàna
— mineral substance
Georgian:
თიხა
(tixa)
— mineral substance
German:
Lehm
— mineral substance
German:
Ton
— mineral substance
German:
Doon
— mineral substance
Gothic:
𐌸𐌰𐌷𐍉
(þāhō)
— mineral substance
Greek:
άργιλος
(árgilos)
— mineral substance
Greek:
πηλός
(pilós)
— mineral substance
Ancient Greek:
πηλός
(pēlós)
— mineral substance
Ancient Greek:
ἄργιλλος
(árgillos)
— mineral substance
Gun:
okò
— mineral substance
Gun:
kò
— mineral substance
Haitian Creole:
ajil
— mineral substance
Hawaiian:
pālolo
— mineral substance
Hawaiian:
lepo kāwili
— mineral substance
Hawaiian:
lepo mānoanoa
— mineral substance
Hawaiian:
lepo ʻūlikalika
— mineral substance
Hebrew:
חומר \ חֹמֶר
(khómer)
— mineral substance
Hebrew:
טִיט
(tít)
— mineral substance
Hebrew:
חֶרֶס
(khéres)
— mineral substance
Hindi:
मृत्तिका
(mŕttikā)
— mineral substance
Hindi:
चिकनी मिट्टी
(ciknī miṭṭī)
— mineral substance
Hungarian:
agyag
— mineral substance
Icelandic:
leir
— mineral substance
Ido:
argilo
— mineral substance
Tuwali Ifugao:
pula
— mineral substance
Ilocano:
pila
— mineral substance
Indonesian:
tanah liat
— mineral substance
Irish:
cré
— mineral substance
Old Irish:
cré
— mineral substance
Italian:
argilla
— mineral substance
Italian:
creta
— mineral substance
Itsekiri:
amà
— mineral substance
Japanese:
粘土
(nendo)
— mineral substance
Javanese:
lempung
— mineral substance
Jeju:
ᄎᆞᆫ흑
(chawnheuk)
— mineral substance
Kabuverdianu:
baru
— mineral substance
Kabuverdianu:
bórre
— mineral substance
Lubuagan Kalinga:
chiyulit
— mineral substance
Southern Kalinga:
pita
— mineral substance
Kalmyk:
шавр
(şavr)
— mineral substance
Kannada:
ಸೀರು
(sīru)
— mineral substance
Kannada:
ಕಂಪ
(kampa)
— mineral substance
Kannada:
ಆವೆ
(āve)
— mineral substance
Kannada:
ಅಡುಸು
(aḍusu)
— mineral substance
Kannada:
ಜೇಡಿ
(jēḍi)
— mineral substance
Kannada:
ಚೇಡಿ
(cēḍi)
— mineral substance
Kashubian:
glëna
— mineral substance
Kazakh:
балшық
(balşyq)
— mineral substance
Khmer:
ដីឥដ្ឋ
(dəy ʼət)
— mineral substance
Komi-Zyrian:
сёй
(śoj)
— mineral substance
Korean:
찰흙
(chalheuk)
— mineral substance
Korean:
점토
(jeomto)
— mineral substance
Central Kurdish:
گڵ
(gill)
— mineral substance
Northern Kurdish:
kaxçîn
— mineral substance
Kyrgyz:
ылай
(ılay)
— mineral substance
Kyrgyz:
чопо
(copo)
— mineral substance
Kyrgyz:
топурак
(topurak)
— mineral substance
Ladino:
barro
— mineral substance
Lao:
ດິນເຜົາ
(din phao)
— mineral substance
Latin:
argilla
— mineral substance
Latin:
lutum
— mineral substance
Latvian:
māls
— mineral substance
Latvian:
zeme
— mineral substance
Limburgish:
klèè
— mineral substance
Limburgish:
klei
— mineral substance
Lithuanian:
molis
— mineral substance
Lokono:
waya
— mineral substance
Lombard:
terra crea
— mineral substance
Low German:
Klei
— mineral substance
Luxembourgish:
Leem
— mineral substance
Macedonian:
глина
(glina)
— mineral substance
Malagasy:
feta
— mineral substance
Malay:
tanah liat
— mineral substance
Malay:
lempung
— mineral substance
Malayalam:
കളിമണ്ണ്
(kaḷimaṇṇŭ)
— mineral substance
Maltese:
tafal
— mineral substance
Northern Mansi:
ра̄кт
(rākt)
— mineral substance
Manx:
cray
— mineral substance
Māori:
uku
— mineral substance
Māori:
oneuku
— mineral substance
Māori:
aumoana
— mineral substance
Māori:
taioma
— mineral substance
Māori:
keretā
— mineral substance
Māori:
keretū
— mineral substance
Marathi:
चिकणमाती
(cikaṇmātī)
— mineral substance
Marathi:
माती
(mātī)
— mineral substance
Eastern Mari:
шун
(šun)
— mineral substance
Western Mari:
шун
(šun)
— mineral substance
Mongolian:
шавар
(šavar)
— mineral substance
Mongolian:
лаг
(lag)
— mineral substance
Mongolian:
шороо
(šoroo)
— mineral substance
Navajo:
hashtłʼish dootłʼizhí
— mineral substance
Norwegian Bokmål:
leire
— mineral substance
Norwegian Nynorsk:
leire
— mineral substance
Occitan:
argila
— mineral substance
Odia:
ମାଟି
(māṭi)
— mineral substance
Old East Slavic:
глина
(glina)
— mineral substance
Old English:
clǣġ
— mineral substance
Oromo:
suphee
— mineral substance
Pashto:
رست
(rost)
— mineral substance
Dari:
گِل
(gil)
— mineral substance
Dari:
رُس
(rus)
— mineral substance
Iranian Persian:
گِل
(gel)
— mineral substance
Iranian Persian:
رُس
(ros)
— mineral substance
Iranian Persian:
گِلِ رُس
(gel-e ros)
— mineral substance
Iranian Persian:
خاکِ رُس
(xâk-e ros)
— mineral substance
Polabian:
glaino
— mineral substance
Polish:
glina
— mineral substance
Portuguese:
argila
— mineral substance
Punjabi:
ਮਿੱਟੀ
(miṭṭī)
— mineral substance
Quechua:
ch'aqu
— mineral substance
Romanian:
argilă
— mineral substance
Romanian:
lut
— mineral substance
Romanian:
hlei
— mineral substance
Russian:
гли́на
(glína)
— mineral substance
Saanich:
SÍEK
— mineral substance
Samoan:
ele
— mineral substance
Sanskrit:
मृत्तिका
(mṛttikā)
— mineral substance
Campidanese Sardinian:
tuvulu
— mineral substance
Campidanese Sardinian:
tùvula
— mineral substance
Sardinian:
lassèdu
— mineral substance
Sardinian:
tuvulu
— mineral substance
Sardinian:
luzàna
— mineral substance
Sassarese:
luzàna
— mineral substance
Sassarese:
terrasanta
— mineral substance
Scottish Gaelic:
crèadh
— mineral substance
Serbo-Croatian:
гли́на
— mineral substance
Serbo-Croatian:
glína
— mineral substance
Shona:
dhaga
— mineral substance
Sicilian:
argilla
— mineral substance
Sinhalese:
මැටි
(mæṭi)
— mineral substance
Slovak:
hlina
— mineral substance
Slovene:
glína
— mineral substance
Somali:
dhoobo
— mineral substance
Lower Sorbian:
glina
— mineral substance
Upper Sorbian:
hlina
— mineral substance
Spanish:
arcilla
— mineral substance
Spanish:
barro
— mineral substance
Spanish:
argilla
— mineral substance
Spanish:
alfar
— mineral substance
Spanish:
greda
— mineral substance
Spanish:
buro
— mineral substance
Spanish:
caolín
— mineral substance
Swazi:
lubumba
— mineral substance
Swedish:
lera
— mineral substance
Tagalog:
arsilya
— mineral substance
Tagalog:
luwad
— mineral substance
Tajik:
гил
(gil)
— mineral substance
Tajik:
лой
(loy)
— mineral substance
Tamil:
களிமண்
(kaḷimaṇ)
— mineral substance
Tamil:
களி
(kaḷi)
— mineral substance
Tarifit:
traxt
— mineral substance
Tatar:
балчык
(balçıq)
— mineral substance
Telugu:
బంకమన్ను
(baṅkamannu)
— mineral substance
Thai:
ดินเหนียว
(din-nǐao)
— mineral substance
Thai:
ดินนวล
(din-nuuan)
— mineral substance
Tibetan:
རྫ
(rdza)
— mineral substance
Turkish:
kil
— mineral substance
Ottoman Turkish:
بالچق
(balçık)
— mineral substance
Ottoman Turkish:
چامور
(çamur)
— mineral substance
Turkmen:
laý
— mineral substance
Turkmen:
palçyk
— mineral substance
Tuvan:
пор
(por)
— mineral substance
Udmurt:
сюй
(śuj)
— mineral substance
Ukrainian:
гли́на
(hlýna)
— mineral substance
Urdu:
سِفال
(sifāl)
— mineral substance
Urdu:
مِٹِّی
(miṭṭī)
— mineral substance
Urdu:
گِل
(gil)
— mineral substance
Uyghur:
سېغىز توپا
(sëghiz topa)
— mineral substance