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cotto

terracotta, fired clay

noun adjective KOT-toh Rare
Home & Lifestyle Materials

Origin: Latin coctus, past participle of coquere (to cook)

Also means

cooked (past participle of cuocere)

Usage Note

Cotto as a noun primarily refers to terracotta tile or fired clay (pavimento in cotto = 'terracotta floor'), very characteristic of Tuscan architecture. As a past participle/adjective of cuocere it means 'cooked.' The idiomatic expression essere cotto di qualcuno = 'to be crazy about someone' (literally 'cooked' on them). Do not confuse the material noun with the culinary adjective.

Examples

"Il pavimento è fatto di mattoni di cotto."

Natural Translation

The floor is made of terracotta bricks.

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