stone

1 of 4

noun

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)
(5)
(6)
(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
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
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

stone

2 of 4

verb

stoned; stoning; stones

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

stone

3 of 4

adverb

: entirely, utterly
used as an intensive
often used in combination
stone-broke
stone-dead

stone

4 of 4

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or made of stone
2
: absolute, utter
pure stone crazinessEdwin Shrake
Phrases
in stone
: in or into a permanent and unchangeable state
plans are not set in stone

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
For now, the staff that runs al-Aqsa from this maze of arched stone offices is preparing for normal crowds. Sufian Taha, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 But the spotlight really shines on the impressive three-ton stone bathtub in the ensuite. Gemma Harris, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 It is known for its viticulture, vibrant year-round arts event program, and picture-perfect setting comprising narrow streets, stone houses, and scenic riverfront. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024 Before the mists part and reveal her new home, the family spies two giant stone dragons, the lanterns in their gaping jaws guiding travelers into the bay. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Archaeologists found the stone tools at a site called Korolevo in western Ukraine, near the country’s modern borders with Romania and Hungary, according to a statement from the Czech Academy of Sciences. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 Bathers sit on stone slabs under mosaic tiles, lather with traditional black soap and wash with scalding water from plastic buckets. Sam Metz, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 An old stone quarry becomes American Family Field Construction of Milwaukee County Stadium, the first major league ballpark built with public money, began in 1950 on land owned by the federal Veterans Administration and the former Story Quarry. Eva Wen, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 Archaeologists have recovered 90,000 stone tools from the site, which lies close to Ukraine’s southwestern border with Hungary and Romania. Katie Hunt, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The soils are predominantly stone with abundant limestone. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 25 May 2023 The Aris sub-collection represents a group of multi-stone pieces with mixed-shape diamonds, while Monaco includes quintessential princess cut diamonds, and Reign embodies sophistication with glamorous diamonds and gemstone pieces. Lauren Tappan, Town & Country, 12 Oct. 2022 Instead, a curved, gently sloped, stone path landscaped with shrubs, leads from the driveway to the front door. Sally A. Downey, Philly.com, 5 Feb. 2018 Stone tools, animal bones and evidence of fire were also found within the same layer at the site. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 7 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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-

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stone was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near stone

Cite this Entry

“Stone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stone. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stone

1 of 4 noun
1
a
: earth or mineral matter hardened in a mass
b
: a piece of rock not as fine as gravel
throw stones
c
: a piece of rock used for some special purpose (as for a monument or in construction)
2
b
: a stony seed or one (as of a plum) enclosed in a stony cover
3
plural usually stone : any of various units of weight
especially : a British unit equal to 14 pounds (6.3 kilograms)

stone

2 of 4 adjective
: of, relating to, or made of stone

stone

3 of 4 verb
stoned; stoning
1
: to throw stones at
especially : to kill by hitting with stones
2
: to remove the stones or seeds of (a fruit)
stoner noun

stone

4 of 4 adverb
: in a complete manner : entirely
the soup is stone cold
often used in combination
they are stone-broke

Medical Definition

stone

noun
1
2
plural usually stone : any of various units of weight
especially : an official British unit equal to 14 pounds (6.3 kilograms)

Biographical Definition

Stone 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

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

Stone

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Irving 1903–1989 originally surname Tennenbaum American writer

Stone

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Lucy 1818–1893 American suffragist

More from Merriam-Webster on stone

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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