Ceramics (Greek keramos, "potter's clay"),
originally the art of making pottery, now a general term for the science of
manufacturing articles prepared from pliable, earthy materials that are made
rigid by exposure to heat. Ceramic materials are nonmetallic, inorganic
compounds—primarily compounds of oxygen, but also compounds of carbon, nitrogen,
boron, and silicon. Ceramics includes the manufacture of earthenware, porcelain,
bricks, and some kinds of tile and stoneware.