Clay is soft, heavy earth that people shape into pots and figures and use to make bricks and roof tiles. It isn't a substance for sticking things together: that's glue, and glue in a solid stick for paper is a glue stick.
clay: will you get the meaning right?
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made of/from + clay; a clay + pot/jug/court; shape/model + clay; stick + something + with glue (not clay)
- My daughter made a little clay cat at her art class and painted it orange.
- In the village museum we saw clay pots that are over two thousand years old.
- The soil in our garden is mostly clay, so the lawn stays wet for days after rain.
What changed
First versionCan I borrow your clay? I need to stick this photo in my notebook.
RevisionCan I borrow your glue? I need to stick this photo in my notebook.
Wet clay is sticky, so it can seem like something to stick things with. But Can I borrow your clay? asks for the soft earth used for modelling. The substance you use to stick paper and photos is glue.
In sports news, clay is a type of tennis court surface: She plays her best tennis on clay. A court with this surface is called a clay court.
Your turn
The handle came off my favourite mug, so I fixed it with strong ___.
Show the answer
glue — A handle that has come off a mug has to be stuck back on, so you need glue. You could make a new mug out of clay, but it won't stick the handle back on.
Describe a clay object that you own or saw on a trip. Name it and say where it's from.
I have a small clay jug that I bought from a potter at a market in Tbilisi.
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