stone

¹stone

noun \ˈstōn\

Definition of STONE

1

: a concretion of earthy or mineral matter:

a (1) : such a concretion of indeterminate size or shape (2) : rock

b : a piece of rock for a specified function: as (1) : a building block (2) : a paving block (3) : a precious stone : gem (4) : gravestone (5) : grindstone (6) : whetstone (7) : a surface upon which a drawing, text, or design to be lithographed is drawn or transferred

2

: something resembling a small stone: as

a : calculus 3a

b : the hard central portion of a drupaceous fruit (as a peach)

c : a hard stony seed (as of a date)

3

plural usually stone : any of various units of weight; especially : an official British unit equal to 14 pounds (6.3 kilograms)

4

a : curling stone

b : a round playing piece used in various games (as backgammon or go)

5

: a stand or table with a smooth flat top on which to impose or set type

— in stone

: in or into a permanent and unchangeable state <plans are not set in stone>

Examples of STONE

1. The pedestal is made of stone.
2. His birthdate and date of death were carved on the stone.

Origin of STONE

Middle English, from Old English stān; akin to Old High German stein stone, Old Church Slavic stěna wall, and perhaps to Sanskrit styāyate it hardens — more at steato-

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to STONE

Synonyms

gravestone, headstone, monument, tombstone

Related Words

cross, marker, plaque, table, tablet; monolith, obelisk, pillar; memorial, shrine; burial, sepulchre (or sepulcher), sepulture, tomb

Other Weights and Measures Terms

avoirdupois weight, calorie, denier, kip, pace, twain

Rhymes with STONE

blown, bone, clone, cone, crone, drone, flown, groan, grown, hone, known, loan, lone, moan, Mon, none, own, phone, pone, prone, Rhône, roan, Saône, scone, sone, throne, tone, zone

²stone

transitive verb

stonedston·ing

Definition of STONE

1

: to hurl stones at; especially : to kill by pelting with stones

2

archaic : to make hard or insensitive to feeling

3

: to face, pave, or fortify with stones

4

: to remove the stones or seeds of (a fruit)

5

a : to rub, scour, or polish with a stone

b : to sharpen with a whetstone

— ston·er noun

Examples of STONE

1. He was stoned to death for his crimes.
2. Stone the peaches before serving.

First Known Use of STONE

13th century

Related to STONE

Synonyms

edge, grind, hone, sharpen, strop, whet

Antonyms

blunt, dull

Related Words

file

Near Antonyms

buff, burnish, gloss, polish, round, smooth

³stone

adverb

Definition of STONE

: entirely, utterly —used as an intensive —often used in combination <stone-broke> <stone-cold soup> <stone-dead>

Examples of STONE

1. The soup was stone cold.

First Known Use of STONE

13th century

⁴stone

adjective

Definition of STONE

1

: of, relating to, or made of stone

2

: absolute, utter <pure stone craziness — Edwin Shrake>

Examples of STONE

1. <the stone stupidity of the senator's statements embarrassed even her staffers>

First Known Use of STONE

14th century

Related to STONE

Synonyms

all-out, arrant, blank, blooming [chiefly British], bodacious [Southern & Midland], categorical (also categoric), clean, complete, consummate, cotton-picking, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, absolute, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very

Related Words

authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable; constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting; extreme, unrestricted; confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate; extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific

Near Antonyms

doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

Stone

biographical name \ˈstōn\

Definition of STONE

Harlan Fiske 1872–1946 Am. jurist; chief justice United States Supreme Court (1941–46)

Stone

biographical name

Definition of STONE

Irving 1903–1989 originally surname Tennenbaum Am. writer

Stone

biographical name

Definition of STONE

Lucy 1818–1893 Am. suffragist

stone

noun \ˈstōn\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of STONE

1

: calculus 1

2

plural usually ; stone : any of various units of weight; especially : an official British unit equal to 14 pounds (6.3 kilograms)

stone

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In building construction, rock cut into blocks and slabs or broken into pieces. It comes as hard as granite and as soft as limestone or sandstone. Where available, stone has generally been the preferred material for monumental structures. Its advantages are durability, adaptability to sculpting, and the fact that it can be used in its natural state. But it is difficult to quarry, transport, and cut, and its weakness in tension limits its use. The simplest stonework is rubble, roughly broken stones bound in mortar. Ashlar work consists of regularly cut blocks with squared edges. Building stone is quarried by sawing if it is soft, and split apart with wedges or by blasting if hard. Many devices are used to shape and dress stone, from handheld tools to circular saws, surfacing machines, and lathes. Some stones are strong enough to act as monolithic (one-piece) supports and beams; and in some styles (e.g., ancient Egyptian temples) stone slabs are employed even for roofing, supported by many closely spaced columns. Before the arch, builders were handicapped by the tendency of stone to break under its own weight. But stone in compression has great strength, and the Romans built huge stone bridges and aqueducts. Though stone has generally been abandoned for structural use in the 20th century, it is widely used as a thin, nonbearing surface cladding. See also masonry.