stone

noun \ ˈstōn \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

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: 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 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)

4 a : 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

See stone defined for English-language learners

See stone defined for kids

Examples of stone in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of stone from the Web

Average lot sizes would be 10,000 square feet with homes that are 3,000 square feet or larger, with brick or stone fronts, and siding on the sides and back, said Steve Goodman with developer THG Holdings.

— emily k. coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "Proposed nine-lot subdivision in unincorporated Vernon Hills fuels residents' concerns," 13 May 2018
Most of those who died in Long Beach were felled by falling debris from those kinds of structures, which are made out of bricks, hollow concrete blocks, stones or adobe and lack steel bars and other shake-resilient components.

— john wilkens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Decades-long march continues to rid San Diego of quake-vulnerable buildings," 13 May 2018
Cristina's creatures run the gamut and include the unadoptable, some elderly pets, and those with such varied medical issues as bladder stones and heartworm-positive diagnoses.

— christian scaffidi, NOLA.com, "Pontchartrain Humane Society Pet Adoption Day is May 12," 9 May 2018
As the rock material shifted over the last 25 years, gaps were created between the stone and the slab, Fee said.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "District 204 finds fix for cracking walls, sloping floors at Fischer Middle School," 8 May 2018
But militants have joined the protest movement and urged other participants to burn tires close to the fence, and to hurl stones and gasoline bombs toward Israeli soldiers on the other side.

— oren dorell, USA TODAY, "Why is Israel shooting at Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza?," 3 May 2018
The home looks natural in its lakeside setting, as it was created from mostly local and regional resources, including Alabama stone and timber.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Incredible Lake Martin 'palace' is surrounded by water," 30 Apr. 2018
Also part of the viewscape is the top of the 185-foot stone and glass tower and geodesic dome of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center.

— peter marteka, courant.com, "A Forest Where All Can Sit On A Throne," 29 Apr. 2018
Stepping stones or walkways are then added for foot traffic.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Timely pruning renews azaleas' vigor and blooms," 28 Apr. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of stone

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

stone Synonyms

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

stone

verb

Definition of stone

stoned; stoning

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)

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

b : to sharpen with a whetstone

—

stoner

noun

See stone defined for English-language learners

Examples of stone in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of stone from the Web

In 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon was shoved, stoned, booed and spat upon by anti-American protesters in Lima, Peru.

— azcentral, "AZ Memo: Taylor Swift kicks off 'Reputation' tour tonight in Glendale; charter schools' financial red flags; needle exchange bill dies," 8 May 2018
This is an interesting setup for the one brief moment of hope that comes later: Janine arrives at the Colonies after avoiding being stoned to death in the finale and immediately runs to hug Emily.

— emma dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 Episode 2 Explores Emily's Gut-Wrenching Back Story," 26 Apr. 2018
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Janine's suicidal ideation, the handmaids refused to stone her.

— claire dodson, Teen Vogue, "The First Episodes of "The Handmaid's Tale” Season Two Just Dropped and Things Still Look Bleak," 25 Apr. 2018
The storm made its mark in Texas, too, where hail stones the size of hen eggs fell on areas south of Dallas and Fort Worth, said weather service meteorologist Patricia Sanchez.

— steve karnowski, chicagotribune.com, "Spring storm blasts central U.S. with snow, ice and wind; 2 dead," 14 Apr. 2018
Except that this quiet hamlet attracted global opprobrium about a decade ago when the local council introduced a code of conduct for immigrants that, among other things, warned against stoning women in public and burning them alive.

— dan bilefsky, New York Times, "Don’t Burn Women: Warning to Immigrants Looms Over a Quebec Village," 12 Apr. 2018
Elsewhere, local officials have cited the prospect of upticks in stoned driving and youth drug use, or simply remain opposed to legalization in the first place.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Pot shops face bans in most of Mass.," 17 Mar. 2018
The ad was pulled after conservatives complained that the ad said too little about the perils of driving stoned.

— gary robbins, Anchorage Daily News, "Marijuana industry gets blunt: Stop using the word ‘pot’," 17 Jan. 2018
Stover stoned Terriers junior midfielder Brendan Homire on the doorstep and quickly threw an outlet pass to Ryan McNulty.

— edward lee, baltimoresun.com, "Loyola Maryland men’s lacrosse overcomes halftime deficit, defeats Boston University," 28 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of stone

13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

stone

adverb

Definition of stone

: entirely, utterly —used as an intensive —often used in combination

stone-broke

stone-cold soup

stone-dead

See stone defined for English-language learners

Examples of stone in a Sentence

The soup was stone cold.

First Known Use of stone

13th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

stone

adjective

Definition of stone

1 : of, relating to, or made of stone

2 : absolute, utter

pure stone craziness
—Edwin Shrake

Examples of stone in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of stone from the Web

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

First Known Use of stone

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Stone

biographical name \ ˈstōn \

Definition of Stone

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

Stone

biographical name

Definition of Stone

Irving 1903–1989 originally surname Tennenbaum American writer

Stone

biographical name

Definition of Stone

Lucy 1818–1893 American suffragist

STONE Defined for English Language Learners

stone

noun

Definition of stone for English Language Learners

: a hard substance that comes from the ground and is used for building, carving, etc.
: a small piece of rock
: a piece of rock used for a particular purpose

stone

verb

Definition of stone for English Language Learners

: to throw stones at (someone or something)
: to kill (someone) by throwing stones
: to remove the hard, large seed of (a fruit)

stone

adverb

Definition of stone for English Language Learners

: totally or completely

STONE Defined for Kids

stone

noun \ ˈstōn \

Definition of stone for Students

1 : earth or mineral matter hardened in a mass : rock

2 : a piece of rock coarser than gravel

Don't throw stones.

3 : gem 1

4 : a stony mass that sometimes forms in certain organs of the body

a kidney stone

5 : the seed of a fruit (as a peach) in its hard case

6 plural usually stone : an English measure of weight equaling 14 pounds (about 6.3 kilograms)

stone

verb

Definition of stone for Students

stoned; stoning

1 : to throw stones at

2 : to remove the stony seeds of

stone cherries

stone

adjective

Definition of stone for Students

: relating to or made of stone

a stone wall

stone

adverb

Definition of stone for Students

: completely, totally

The soup was stone- cold.

Medical Dictionary

stone

noun \ ˈstōn \

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)

Learn More about stone

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

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stone

Definition of stone

Examples of stone in a Sentence

Recent Examples of stone from the Web

Origin and Etymology of stone

stone Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Weights and Measures Terms

stone

Definition of stone

stoner

Examples of stone in a Sentence

Recent Examples of stone from the Web

First Known Use of stone

stone

Definition of stone

Examples of stone in a Sentence

First Known Use of stone

stone

Definition of stone

Examples of stone in a Sentence

Recent Examples of stone from the Web

First Known Use of stone

Stone

Definition of Stone

Stone

Definition of Stone

Stone

Definition of Stone

STONE Defined for English Language Learners

stone

Definition of stone for English Language Learners

stone

Definition of stone for English Language Learners

stone

Definition of stone for English Language Learners

STONE Defined for Kids

stone

Definition of stone for Students

stone

Definition of stone for Students

stone

Definition of stone for Students

stone

Definition of stone for Students

Medical Dictionary

stone

medical Definition of stone

Learn More about stone

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