pebble

1 of 2

noun

peb·​ble ˈpe-bəl 

1

: a small usually rounded stone especially when worn by the action of water

2

: transparent and colorless quartz : rock crystal

3

: an irregular, crinkled, or grainy surface

pebbly

ˈpe-b(ə-)lē 

adjective

pebble

2 of 2

verb

pebbled; pebbling ˈpe-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to pelt with pebbles

2

: to pave or cover with pebbles or something resembling pebbles

3

: to grain (a material, such as leather) so as to produce a rough and irregularly indented surface

Examples of pebble in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

These seed-sized pellets of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU), enriched between 5% and 20%, are coated in layers of carbon and ceramic materials and formed into round pebbles. —David Szondy february 21, New Atlas, 21 Feb. 2026

Either the pebble clouds sometimes collapsed into two separate, co-orbiting bodies that spiraled closer together over time or this binary formed at once, with the rapid spinning and stickiness of the icy pebbles somehow producing the strange shape. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 19 Feb. 2026

Verb

The ideal curling surface involves an ice sheet that is pebbled, or treated with drops of water, which helps to decrease the friction the stone faces against the surface area of the ice. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026

The Black colorway has pebbled black leather and black denim panels. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pobble, from Old English papolstān, from papol- (of unknown origin) + stān stone

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pebble

• jebel
• nebel
• rebel
• treble
• jezebel

Kids Definition

pebble

1 of 2 noun

peb·​ble ˈpeb-əl 

1

: a small rounded stone

2

: an uneven, wrinkled, or grainy surface

pebblelike

-əl-ˌ(l)īk

adjective

pebbly

-(ə-)lē 

adjective

pebble

2 of 2 verb

pebbled; pebbling ˈpeb-(ə-)liŋ 

: to produce an uneven, wrinkled, or grainy surface on