Terracotta can be translated, in a somewhat literal sense, as baked earth. It is typically produced, in its most basic version, by first combining clay and water. The mixture is then formed into the desired object/shape, and sun-dried or kiln-fired. The desired form or shape is arrived at by hand molding, machine pressing, extruding, or shaping in some other manner. The results might yield floor tile, pottery, roof tile, pipes, and more, in this case terracotta tile.
