cornerstone

cor·ner·stone

noun \-ˌstōn\

Definition of CORNERSTONE

1

: a stone forming a part of a corner or angle in a wall; specifically : such a stone laid at a formal ceremony

2

: a basic element : foundation <a cornerstone of foreign policy>

Examples of CORNERSTONE

1. Officials held a ceremony to lay the cornerstone for a new library.
2. Trust is the cornerstone of their relationship.

First Known Use of CORNERSTONE

13th century

Related to CORNERSTONE

Synonyms

basis, bedrock, bottom, base, footing, foundation, ground, groundwork, keystone, root, underpinning, warp, warp and woof

Related Words

anchorage, bed, brace, bulwark, buttress, framework, infrastructure, mount, prop, shore, stay, substratum, substructure, support; assumption, justification, premise (also premiss), presumption, presupposition, rationale, supposition, theory, thesis, warrant; backbone, center, core, base, eye, focus, heart, hub, kernel, keystone, nucleus, seat; essence, quintessence, soul, touchstone

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

Rhymes with CORNERSTONE

acetone, allophone, altar stone, anglophone, anklebone, barbitone, baritone, bombardon, brain hormone, buffer zone, Canal Zone, cannon bone, cherrystone, cinder cone, cobblestone, coffin bone, collarbone, comfort zone, cortisone, crazy bone, crumple zone, curling stone, cuttlebone, demand loan, diaphone, Dictaphone, ecotone, epigone, fracture zone, francophone, frigid zone, frontal bone, funny bone, gramophone, growth hormone, hammerstone, herringbone, hold one's own, holystone, homophone, hydrophone, ice-cream cone, ironstone, kidney stone, knucklebone, leading tone, leave alone, let alone, lithopone, marrowbone, megaphone, mellophone, methadone, microphone, microtone, minestrone, monotone, neutral zone, on one's own, overblown, overgrown, overtone, plant hormone, polyphone, prednisone, provolone, quarter tone, rotenone, rottenstone, sacaton, saxophone, semitone, sex hormone, shacklebone, shatter cone, silicone, sousaphone, speakerphone, stand-alone, stepping-stone, telephone, temperate zone, temporal bone, thunderstone, Torreón, torrid zone, traffic cone, twilight zone, undertone, vibraphone, Yellowstone

cornerstone

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Ceremonial building block, dated or otherwise inscribed, usually placed in an outer wall of a building to commemorate its dedication. Often the stone is hollowed out to contain newspapers, photographs, or other documents reflecting current customs, with a view to their historical use when the building is remodeled or demolished. Originally placed at a corner, the stone may today be placed elsewhere on the facade.