gravel

¹grav·el

noun \ˈgra-vəl\

Definition of GRAVEL

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

Origin of GRAVEL

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

First Known Use: 13th century

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

Rhymes with GRAVEL

cavil, gavel, ravel, travel

²gravel

transitive verb

graveled or gravelledgravel·ing or gravel·ling \ˈgrav-liŋ, ˈgra-və-\

Definition of GRAVEL

1

: to cover or spread with gravel

2

a : perplex, confound

b : irritate, nettle <disappointed … and graveled him a good deal — Mark Twain>

Examples of GRAVEL

1. <managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples>

First Known Use of GRAVEL

1543

Related to GRAVEL

Synonyms

addle, baffle, bamboozle, beat, befog, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, buffalo, confound, discombobulate, disorient, flummox, fox, fuddle, get, confuse, maze, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, vex

Related Words

stick, stump, weird out; abash, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle; agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, stun, unhinge, unsettle, upset; beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, humbug, misguide, mislead, snow, string along, take in, trick

Near Antonyms

assure, reassure, satisfy; enlighten, inform

Rhymes with GRAVEL

cavil, gavel, ravel, travel

³gravel

adjective

Definition of GRAVEL

: gravelly 2 —used of the human voice

Examples of GRAVEL

1. <after his bout with laryngitis, he had a terribly gravel voice>

First Known Use of GRAVEL

1939

Related to GRAVEL

Synonyms

coarse, croaking, croaky, grating, hoarse, gravelly, gruff, husky, rasping, raspy, rusty, scratchy, throaty

Related Words

growling, growly, guttural; abrasive, cacophonous, discordant, grinding, jarring, rough, scraping, scratching; cawing, raucous, screeching, squawking, strident; choked, cracked, strained, strangled; dissonant, inharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical

Near Antonyms

gentle, gliding, golden, liquid, mellifluent, mellifluous, mellow, soothing, sweet, tender; satiny, silken, smooth, soft, velvety; euphonious, lyric, lyrical, melodic, melodious, musical

grav·el

noun \ˈgrav-əl\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of GRAVEL

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

gravel

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Aggregate of more or less rounded rock fragments coarser than sand (i.e., more than 0.08 in., or 2 mm, in diameter). Gravel beds in some places contain heavy metallic ore minerals, such as cassiterite (a major source of tin), or native metals, such as gold, in nuggets or flakes. Deposits accumulate in parts of stream channels or on beaches where the water moves too rapidly to permit sand to remain. Because of changing conditions, gravel formations generally are more limited and more variable in coarseness, thickness, and configuration than sand or clay deposits. In many regions gravel terraces (or raised beaches) extend great distances inland, indicating that the sea at one time stood higher than it does today. Gravels are widely used building materials.