gravel

noun grav·el \ 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

See gravel defined for English-language learners

See gravel defined for kids

Recent Examples of gravel from the Web

Another great feature—especially for uneven pavement or gravel lots—is the cooker's legs, which adjust independently to make sure the grilltop is flat even on unbalanced surfaces.

— the si staff, SI.com, "Get Ready for Fall with These Must-Have Tailgating Accessories," 31 Aug. 2017
The gravel driveway of her decrepit house is littered with bullet casings.

— alexandra alter, New York Times, "A Debut Novelist’s Descent Into Darkness," 27 Aug. 2017
On a hot August morning, Mourad Gabriel steps out of his pickup onto the gravel road that winds up the side of Rattlesnake Peak.

— jeff wheelwright, Discover Magazine, "Marijuana: An Environmental Buzzkill," 21 Aug. 2017
Crews will excavate the area and put in a new gravel base before laying asphalt.

— Washington Post, "Beach Drive rehab progress: Nearly 2 miles of roadway rebuilt, 4.6 miles to go," 19 Aug. 2017
If the tournament sees rain this year, the effects will be tempered by brand new paved access roads, and gravel and paved parking lots.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "Infrastructure, storylines should make for enjoyable 2017 W&S Open," 12 Aug. 2017
The less desirable and far more expensive solution is to replace the footing drain with a new gravel-and-pipe system.

— roy berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Unclog a French Drain," 6 Aug. 2017
This spring’s sweep of all four special elections to the U.S. House ground gravel into Democrats’ wounds.

— deroy murdock, National Review, "Washington Republicans Have Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself," 29 July 2017
Patio has a gravel base and long benches are only seating option.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Fried chicken at Big Momma’s Soul Food Kitchen among best in Louisville | Review," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gravel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gravel

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

Other Geology Terms

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

gravel

verb

Definition of gravel

graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling play \ˈgrav-liŋ, ˈgra-və-\

transitive verb

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 in a Sentence

managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples

First Known Use of gravel

1543

gravel Synonyms

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

gravel

adjective

Definition of gravel

:gravelly 2 —used of the human voice

Examples of gravel in a Sentence

after his bout with laryngitis, he had a terribly gravel voice

First Known Use of gravel

1939

gravel Synonyms

GRAVEL Defined for English Language Learners

gravel

noun

Definition of gravel for English Language Learners

: small pieces of rock

GRAVEL Defined for Kids

gravel

noun grav·el \ ˈgra-vəl \

Definition of gravel for Students

:small pieces of rock and pebbles larger than grains of sand

Medical Dictionary

gravel

noun grav·el \ ˈgrav-əl \

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

Learn More about gravel

See words that rhyme with gravel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gravel Spanish Central: Translation of gravel Nglish: Translation of gravel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gravel for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gravel

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gravel

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Origin and Etymology of gravel

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gravel

Definition of gravel

Examples of gravel in a Sentence

First Known Use of gravel

gravel Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

gravel

Definition of gravel

Examples of gravel in a Sentence

First Known Use of gravel

gravel Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

GRAVEL Defined for English Language Learners

gravel

Definition of gravel for English Language Learners

GRAVEL Defined for Kids

gravel

Definition of gravel for Students

Medical Dictionary

gravel

medical Definition of gravel

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