faience

or fa·ïence

[ fahy-ahns, fey-; French fa-yahns ]

/ faɪˈɑns, feɪ-; French faˈyɑ̃s /

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noun

glazed earthenware or pottery, especially a fine variety with highly colored designs.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of faience

1705–15; <French, originally pottery of Faenza, city in northern Italy

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH faience

fiancé, fiancée, faience

Words nearby faience

Fahrenheit scale, Fa-hsien, FAI, Faial, Faidherbe, faience, fail, failed, failed star, failed state, failing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use faience in a sentence

It contained an admirable collection of furniture, pictures, wood carvings, and faience.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar|Maurice Leblanc
He was a wizened little man with faience-blue eyes, and sat habitually hunched up with his hands folded across his shins.
The Dwelling Place of Light, Complete|Winston Churchill
True faience is made of a yellowish or ruddy earth, covered with an enamel which is usually white, but may be coloured.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
In fact the word faience is due to the avowed intention of the manufacturers of Nevers to copy the enameled pottery of Faenza.
The Potter's Craft|Charles F. Binns

An additional chapter deals with Copenhagen Faience, which has qualities of its own appealing to connoisseurs.
Feminism and Sex-Extinction|Arabella Kenealy

British Dictionary definitions for faience

faïence

/ (faɪˈɑːns, feɪ-) /

noun

tin-glazed earthenware, usually that of French, German, Italian, or Scandinavian origin
(as modifier)a faïence cup

Word Origin for faïence

C18: from French, strictly: pottery from Faenza

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012