Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Terra?

\Ter"ra\, n. [It. & L. See {Terrace}.] The earth; earth. {Terra alba} [L., white earth] (Com.), a white amorphous earthy substance consisting of burnt gypsum, aluminium silicate (kaolin), or some similar ingredient, as magnesia. It is sometimes used to adulterate certain foods, spices, candies, paints, etc. {Terra cotta}. [It., fr. terra earth + cotta, fem. of cotto cooked, L. coctus, p. p. of coquere to cook. See {Cook}, n.] Baked clay; a kind of hard pottery used for statues, architectural decorations, figures, vases, and the like. {Terr[ae] filius} [L., son of the earth], formerly, one appointed to write a satirical Latin poem at the public acts in the University of Oxford; -- not unlike the prevaricator at Cambridge, England. {Terra firma} [L.], firm or solid earth, as opposed to {water}. {Terra Japonica}. [NL.] Same as {Gambier}. It was formerly supposed to be a kind of earth from Japan. {Terra Lemnia} [L., Lemnian earth], Lemnian earth. See under {Lemnian}. {Terra ponderosa} [L., ponderous earth] (Min.), barite, or heavy spar. {Terra di Sienna}. See {Sienna}.