Indian paint pot

English

Alternative forms

• Indian paintpot

Etymology

So called because of local folklore and historical speculation in which they are said to have been used by indigenous people as sources of paint or dye. While iron oxides were indeed used as an ingredient in paints, the “pots” are a natural geological formation, and the extent to which these specific formations were utilized is unknown.

Noun

Indian paint pot (plural Indian paint pots)

1. (chiefly eastern US, Long Island) a concave, iron oxide–containing mineral concretion such as red shale which sheds a chalky, reddish debris when wet and rubbed, often found along beaches

   Synonyms: Indian paint rock, paint pot, paint rock, rattle stone