Pre-fired clay material used in ceramics and refractories to reduce shrinkage and cracking during kiln firing.
From French chamotte, possibly derived from Medieval Latin 'camata.' The term became standard in ceramics vocabulary by the 18th century as European pottery became more technical and scientific.
Chamotte is basically 'recycled pottery'—ceramicists grind up broken fired clay and mix it back in, which paradoxically makes the clay stronger and less likely to crack, turning waste into an ingredient for better results!
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