Saggar

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈsæɡ.ɚ/

Definitions

1. A vessel specifically crafted to hold ceramics during thermal treatment while safeguarding against glaze and surface interactions
2. An object intended for the thermal support of pottery in kilns, ensuring the integrity of the items it contains
3. A container used in kilns to shield ceramics from direct flame and prevent damage during firing

Etymology: The saggar, the fired-clay box potters use to protect their wares in the kiln, is a name whose origin is genuinely uncertain. The most commonly offered idea, and the one recorded as a possibility, is that it is a contracted form of "safeguard," a fitting guess for a container whose whole job is to shield pottery from flame, ash and the glaze of neighbouring pieces. Because the link rests on a sound-alike rather than on documented evidence, it should be treated as a plausible suggestion rather than settled fact. The word also appears as a verb, and the source does not say how the verb relates to the noun, so the simplest account is that both uses grew from the same container. Its meaning is clear enough: the vessel stands between the ware and the heat, letting potters fire delicate or easily stained pieces without the kiln's flames and fumes marking them.