gravel

1 of 3

noun

grav·​el ˈgra-vəl How to pronounce gravel (audio)
1
obsolete : sand
2
a
: loose rounded fragments of rock
b
: a stratum or deposit of gravel
also : a surface covered with gravel
a gravel road
3
: small calculi in the kidneys and urinary bladder

gravel

2 of 3

verb

graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling ˈgra-v(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce gravel (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to cover or spread with gravel
2
b
: irritate, nettle
disappointed … and graveled him a good dealMark Twain

gravel

3 of 3

adjective

: gravelly sense 2
used of the human voice

Examples of gravel in a Sentence

Verb managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples Adjective after his bout with laryngitis, he had a terribly gravel voice
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The parking lot had been covered with gravel in recent weeks, as the previous dirt lot became muddy on rainy days. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024 Add a 1-inch layer of pea gravel to anchor the plant, but do not cover the crown where leaves are emerging. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2024 It is geared toward gravel riders, with slightly extended coverage but still lightweight and well-vented. Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2024 Also, San Clemente residents were unhappy about the rocks, gravel and dark sand being pumped onto their popular beach. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2024 Although gravel is often put out on sidewalks, Norwegians have spent a lifetime walking on snow and ice so mitigation measures aren’t always prioritized. David Nikel, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 By autumn of that year, Posey was no longer decorating elegant platters for high profile guests but digging gravel for roads. Ramin Ganeshram, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024 By introducing vegetation, gravel, tillage and shallow flooding, the department has reduced air pollution by 99% and brought a measure of peace in the rural valley where people have long had bitter feelings toward Los Angeles. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Liberated from its pipe, the creek gurgled clear through the rubble, and a cutthroat trout flickered over the gravel. Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
Verb
However, work was suspended in early January after the material dredged from an ocean site near Oceanside proved to be more rocks and gravel than sand. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024 Decades ago, miners dug up sand and gravel from much of the land that’s now the two-platform stop. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Feb. 2024 Jennifer Lawrence is a woman who likes to feel every grain of grit and gravel beneath her soles. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2024 San Clemente residents were not pleased when the first few barge-loads of sediment dumped at San Clemente produced as much rock and gravel as sand. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2024 Massive machinery is constantly in motion, scooping out rock, sand, and gravel from surrounding cliffs, while other equipment clears it away, all with the goal of uncovering the deeper oil sands for fuel. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2023 Behind the house, accessible from a glass slider just off the kitchen, the backyard comprises a small patio of concrete pavers set in pea gravel amid native plantings. Mark David, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2023 The high walls also kept trail debris from entering my shoes and helped create a smoother transition from trail to gravel, in my opinion. Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2023 Pavement quickly turns to gravel there, and by lunchtime on our second day the Mahindra was inching at a mule’s pace through the canopy of the Annapurna Conservation Area, a giddy collage of dogwood, dhupi, and pine—whose puffy pompom clusters blotted the forest like raindrops on a watercolor. Sean Williams, Harper's Magazine, 11 Sep. 2023
Adjective
My gravel bike is a Trek Checkpoint ALR 5, which weighs about 25 lb, so the extra 7 pounds on the Turbo Creo 2 Comp didn't seem like a big deal. Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2023 At the scene in Bowdoin, yellow crime scene tape hung around a home with a long, gravel driveway in a wooded area. Patrick Whittle and David Sharp, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Apr. 2023 In addition, the Airline Trail is easily accessible for cyclists or walkers to enjoy miles of flat, gravel trail. Hartford Courant, 10 Sep. 2022 Past an old logging gate, a gravel road snakes through a young stand of pine. Adam Moore, Outdoor Life, 23 Jan. 2023 After the ceremony, a gravel pathway lined with pink flowers led guests to a lush garden and lake. Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2023 The snowstorm that camouflaged the bear, along with a lack of runway lights at Wales' gravel air strip, prevented Alaska State Troopers from flying in an officer and a state wildlife official from Nome to investigate until Wednesday. CBS News, 20 Jan. 2023 The popularity of gravel cycling has prompted tire manufacturers to go wider and softer. Eben Weiss, Outside Online, 10 Jan. 2023 Some of these airparks are tiny, just two homes and a gravel runway, while others have dozens or even hundreds of homes and world-class aviation facilities. Stefanie Waldek, House Beautiful, 5 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gravel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French gravele, diminutive of grave, greve river bank, stony ground

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1939, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gravel was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near gravel

Cite this Entry

“Gravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gravel

1 of 3 noun
grav·​el ˈgrav-əl How to pronounce gravel (audio)
: small pieces of rock and pebbles larger than grains of sand

gravel

2 of 3 adjective

gravel

3 of 3 verb
graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling
ˈgrav-(ə-)liŋ
: to cover or spread with gravel

Medical Definition

gravel

noun
grav·​el ˈgrav-əl How to pronounce gravel (audio)
1
: a deposit of small calculous concretions in the kidneys and urinary bladder compare microlith
2
: the condition that results from the presence of deposits of gravel

More from Merriam-Webster on gravel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!