gravel

1 of 3

noun

grav·​el ˈgra-vəl 

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 

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

gravel

3 of 3

adjective

: gravelly sense 2

—used of the human voice

Synonyms

Verb

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

Adjective

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

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

To keep ladybugs safe, make a small ladybug drinking pool by placing clean gravel in a terra-cotta plant saucer and filling the saucer to just below the gravel line with fresh water. 5. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2024

Gerth: After 120 years, the only gravel road in Louisville's public road system is about to get paved, and the people who live there can't wait. —Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 3 July 2024

Verb

Like all birds, pigeons need grit to complete the digestive process, making locations holding material such as sand or gravel a definite possibility. —M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 11 July 2024

The design teams created different pathways for visitors to explore and wander that range from concrete to stable ground to gravel, depending on the foot traffic. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 3 July 2024

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

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

Phrases Containing gravel

• gravel-blind

Kids Definition

gravel

1 of 3 noun

grav·​el ˈgrav-əl 

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

gravel

2 of 3 adjective

: gravelly sense 2

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 

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