stone

noun

\ ˈstōn

Definition of stone

(Entry 1 of 7)

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: such 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: such as

a : calculus sense 3a

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

4a : curling stone

b : a round playing piece used in various games (such 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

stone

verb

stoned; stoning

Definition of stone (Entry 2 of 7)

transitive verb

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)

5a : to rub, scour, or polish with a stone

b : to sharpen with a whetstone

stone

adverb

Definition of stone (Entry 3 of 7)

: entirely, utterly —used as an intensive —often used in combination stone-brokestone-cold soupstone-dead

stone

adjective

Definition of stone (Entry 4 of 7)

1 : of, relating to, or made of stone

2 : absolute, utter pure stone craziness— Edwin Shrake

Stone

biographical name (1)

\ ˈstōn

Definition of Stone (Entry 5 of 7)

Harlan Fiske 1872–1946 American jurist; chief justice U.S. Supreme Court (1941–46)

Stone

biographical name (2)

Definition of Stone (Entry 6 of 7)

Irving 1903–1989 originally surname Tennenbaum American writer

Stone

biographical name (3)

Definition of Stone (Entry 7 of 7)

Lucy 1818–1893 American suffragist

Other Words from stone Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about stone

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of stone in a Sentence

Noun

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

Verb

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

Adverb

The soup was stone cold.

Adjective

the stone stupidity of the senator's statements embarrassed even her staffers

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The coldness of the stone can certainly help reduce puffiness. — Elizabeth Kiefer, The Seattle Times, "Jade rollers: Puffy-eye wonder cure or sham?," 26 Mar. 2019 Things built out of stone, brick, and concrete are long-lasting and difficult to remove. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Become a Skilled Tradesperson," 13 Mar. 2019 Called the Round House, the 5,814 square-foot design is shaped like a half-circle for the most part and incorporates elements of stone, wood and glass alongside onyx terrazzo and brass inlaid concrete floors. — Alex Bazeley, Curbed, "This eclectic, circular midcentury house could be yours for $1.7M," 16 Aug. 2018 But here are some of the main tasks in terms of restoring the station: First, the exterior masonry needs to be cleaned and repaired, with all the little loose bits of stone removed and the facade tuck-pointed. — John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Restoring Michigan Central Station will take years — and lots of money," 17 June 2018 The garden currently has patio stones on the ground and features a birdhouse, although there is no mention if either is included in the price of the single-family home. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "You Can Now Live in the Same Neighborhood as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry," 22 May 2019 Though some are now back on display at the Louvre, and others occasionally appear at auction, many of the French Crown Jewels stones and pieces have never been recovered. — Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, "A 40-Carat Diamond Ring with Ties to the French Royal Family Was Just Recovered by Police in Paris," 8 Apr. 2019 Most demonstrators kept their distance from the border, though small crowds of activists approached the perimeter fence and threw stones and explosives toward Israeli troops on the other side. — Fares Akram, The Seattle Times, "Rockets from Gaza Strip hit Israel; 4 die at border protest," 31 Mar. 2019 The home maintains elements of old masonry uncovered during renovation, including a stone-and-brick wall section and a brick archway. — J.s. Marcus, WSJ, "Reviving the Heart of Rome by Adding Nordic Style," 15 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

There were legal hurdles to navigate, and also a huge discomfort with the idea of getting a 5-year-old stoned. — Amber Senter, Marie Claire, "We Have to Acknowledge That CBD Use Is a Privilege," 11 Apr. 2019 Villagers outside the park had stoned an orphaned baby baboon that was stealing their food. — Sandi Doughton, The Seattle Times, "Sam Wasser pours his intense passion for protecting wildlife into research and catching poachers," 21 May 2019 The list of luxe hotels below are owned by the Sultan of Brunei, who today implemented a violent anti-gay law that states those who commit homosexual acts are to be stoned to death. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Ellen DeGeneres Calls On Fans to Boycott These Famous Hotels," 3 Apr. 2019 There is a fine line between high and creative and stoned and useless. — Jenn Harris, latimes.com, "A vegan taco chef on the joys of cooking high, and the best food to make while you're stoned," 20 Apr. 2018 There’s also a lot of dull hopping and racing and mumbling — whereas Beatle ad-libs were witty before, now everyone just sounds stoned out of his mind. — Jordan Hoffman, New York Times, "Where to Stream the Best, and the Most Ridiculous, of the Beatles on Film," 9 July 2018 The female rats began getting stoned during the week of their mating period, and then for the 21 days of gestation. — Erik Lacitis, The Seattle Times, "‘Something wasn’t clicking’: WSU study shows offspring of pregnant rats exposed to THC have impaired development," 20 Nov. 2018 The van took Offred not to her death or her salvation, but to a trick, a brainchild of Aunt Lydia's (who is becoming more of a cartoon villain scene by scene) to punish the handmaids for refusing to stone Janine to death. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 2 premiere recap: Escape the pain," 25 Apr. 2018 When a kid gets in trouble, why does no one say at any point, ‘Why are you getting stoned? — Marcus Harrison Green, The Seattle Times, "Constantine unveils proposed $4 million budget for his Roadmap to Zero Youth Detention," 19 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Instead, a curved, gently sloped, stone path landscaped with shrubs, leads from the driveway to the front door. — Sally A. Downey, Philly.com, "In Lower Gwynedd, a renovated bungalow to grow old in," 5 Feb. 2018 Stone tools, animal bones and evidence of fire were also found within the same layer at the site. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Oldest Homo sapiens fossils discovered," 7 June 2017

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