red clay

American  

noun

Geology.

1. a brown to red, widely distributed deep-sea deposit consisting chiefly of microscopic particles and tinted red by iron oxides and manganese.

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Other Word Forms

• red-clay adjective

Etymology

Origin of red clay

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

But by the time it was over, the 5-hour, 29-minute epic on the red clay of Roland-Garros was simply one of the greatest major finals ever played.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

I played in the parks, which were often hard red clay with loose pebbles and stones, with two square goalposts fashioned out of wood and string.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2025

“The lifestyle itself is similar, but you know, there’s not a lot of red clay around Morton,” says Cramer, referring to a soil type synonymous with parts of the South.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 3, 2024

And yet that’s when Swiatek returned to her usual brand of crisp, clean tennis, scurrying around the red clay with sublime defense and finding just the occasions to try for a winner.

From Washington Times • Jun. 10, 2023

The road changed to red clay and the sand was behind them.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers