Ceramics 这个词是来源于古希腊语的单词 Keramos，意思为“陶器”。若再追寻Keramos的根源，该单词则源于古典梵语(Sanskrit)的词根，意味着“烧”。所以，在古希腊语中，Keramos也意味着“用火烧过的器物”或“用火烧过的土”—— 也就是“火之物”。
现在，在讲英语的国家，Ceramics这个词就是指我们所称谓的无机非金属材料(以前曾经被称为：硅酸盐材料）。
The word ceramics was initially derived from the Greek term keramos, meaning"pottery" or "a potter". Keramos in turn is related to an older Sanskrit root meaning "to burn". Thus, the early Greeks used the term to mean "burned stuff" or "burned earth" when referring to products obtained through the action of fire upon earthy materials.
By the later of 20th century, scientists and engineers had learnt to synthesize many new ceramic materials, sometimes by chemical methods that did not quite fit older definitions. For this reason, W. D. Kingery suggested a new definition that is "A ceramic is a nonmetallic, inorganic solid"(citing from Introduction to Ceramics, 2nd ed. KINGERY W D, BOWEN H K, UHLMANN D R, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1976). This definition essentially says that a ceramic is anything that is not an organic material or metal.
On the other hand, different literatures give different definitions for the word ceramic. Here, it is unnecessary to scrutinize them except a few authoritative expressions.
The American Ceramic Society, the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers, the Ceramic Educational Council, the American Society for Testing and Materials, and other learned societies and associations define ceramics as inorganic, nonmetallic materials that are subjected to elevated temperature during their processing and manufacture-temperature of 540 ℃ and above (citing from Dictionary of Ceramic Science and Engineering, Loran S O'BANNON, Plenum Press, 1984).
Encyclopedia gives a definition that ceramics are broadly defined as inorganic, nonmetallic materials that exhibit such useful properties as high strength, high hardness, high melting temperature, high chemical inertness, low thermal conductivity and low electrical conductivity but that also display brittleness and sensitivity to flaws.
Now, it is difficult to give a precise definition for ceramics. However, it would be regarded to the most widely accepted definition that ceramics is any of a class of inorganic, nonmetallic products which are subjected to high temperature during manufacture or use, and which are produced with natural mineral materials and /or synthetic materials and/or chemical products as raw materials.
The subjects of ceramics cover a wide range of materials. Recent attempts have been made to divide it into two parts that are traditional silicate materials and advanced ceramics.
参考文献
[1] 中国建筑工业出版社/中国硅酸盐学会. 硅酸盐辞典[M].北京：中国建筑工业出版社，1984：764.
[2] ZHANG Yujun. Processing of Advanced Ceramics[M]. 北京：冶金工业出版社，2014：1-4.
