# stone

Pronunciation: say "STOHN" US /stoʊn/, UK /stəʊn/

## Noun

1. A small piece of rock; a pebble or fragment broken from a larger mass.
   - Simple: A small piece of rock that you can pick up, hold, or throw.
   - _She turned over a heavy stone to see what was hiding underneath._
   - _The stream had worn the stones smooth over many years._
2. A hard, naturally occurring mineral material that forms rocks, especially when quarried and shaped for building.
   - Simple: The hard, solid material that rocks are made of, often used for building.
   - _The castle walls were made of solid stone three feet thick._
   - _Local quarries supplied the stone for most of the town's older houses._
4. A piece of rock that has been cut, shaped or put in place to serve a specific purpose, for example as a marker, a tool or a building block.
   - Simple: A piece of rock cut, shaped or put in place for a use, like a marker, tool or building block.
   - _Masons numbered every stone before the old church was taken down and moved._
   - _Weathered stones along the old turnpike still give the distance to Boston._
5. A gemstone or jewel, especially a diamond, valued for its beauty and rarity.
   - Simple: A precious jewel, such as a diamond.
   - _The pendant's central stone caught the light with every movement._
   - _Thieves pried the largest stones from the antique brooch._
6. A small hard mass that forms inside the body, especially in the kidney or gallbladder, from minerals or other substances such as cholesterol.
   - Simple: A hard lump that can form inside the body, such as in the kidney.
   - _Drinking more water may help prevent another kidney stone._
   - _The surgeon removed a large stone that had been causing the blockage._
9. A unit of weight equal to fourteen pounds (about 6.35 kilograms), used mainly in Britain for stating body weight. *(British)*
   - Simple: A unit of weight equal to 14 pounds, used in Britain for body weight.
   - _The doctor noted that he had gained half a stone since his last visit._
   - _At fifteen stone, the boxer fought in a higher division that season._
11. A marker or monument placed over a grave; a gravestone or tombstone.
   - Simple: A marker placed over a grave to remember someone who has died.
   - _In the churchyard, wind and rain had worn the inscription on his great-grandfather's stone almost smooth._
   - _The family gathered around the stone on the anniversary of his death._
12. The hard central part of certain fruits, such as peaches and plums, that encloses the seed.
   - Simple: The hard center inside fruits like peaches and cherries, holding the seed.
   - _He spat the cherry stone neatly into his hand._
   - _The flesh clung stubbornly to the stone of the unripe apricot._
14. A dull, light gray or beige color, resembling that of some stones.
   - Simple: A dull, light gray or soft beige color, like some stones.
   - _The whole collection was built around stone, with a few brighter accents._
   - _He repainted the hallway in stone, finding it calmer than the old white._
16. A heavy, polished granite stone with a handle, weighing about 38 to 44 pounds, slid down the ice in curling.
   - Simple: A heavy, round granite piece slid across the ice in the sport of curling.
   - _He released the stone smoothly and let the sweepers guide it._
   - _Each team delivers eight stones in every end._
19. A playing piece made of hard material, used in board games such as go and backgammon.
   - Simple: A small piece used to play board games like go or backgammon.
   - _She set down her final stone to seal off the corner._
   - _The two players cleared the captured stones from the board._
25. A stand or table with a smooth, flat top of stone, often marble, on which pages were arranged before printing.
   - Simple: A flat table with a smooth stone top, used to lay out pages before printing.
   - _The compositor laid the locked-up forme on the stone and checked the margins._
   - _Late editions were corrected right on the stone before the press began its run._

## Adjective

3. Made or built from stone rather than from other materials.
   - Simple: Built out of stone, not wood or brick.
   - _The village church is a fine stone building from the medieval period._
   - _A narrow stone bridge crossed the stream at the bottom of the valley._
10. Resembling stone in appearance, whether in color, texture, or finish.
   - Simple: Looking like real stone in color or texture.
   - _The lightweight panels have a convincing stone face that fools most visitors._
   - _She ordered tiles with a rough stone look for the entryway._
15. Of a dull, light gray or beige color, resembling that of some stones.
   - Simple: Dull, light gray or beige in color, like some stones.
   - _He wore stone pants with a navy blazer._
   - _We chose stone curtains so the bedroom would feel calm and light._
18. Complete or absolute; used before a noun to intensify it. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: Complete or total, used before another word to make it stronger.
   - _In her review she called the new album a stone masterpiece._
   - _The detectives knew they were dealing with a stone killer._
23. Of a person, willing to give sexual pleasure to a partner but not to receive it in return. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Of a person, wanting to give sexual pleasure but not to receive it.
   - _For years she identified as stone, a label that fit her sense of herself._
   - _Being stone, he found pleasure in pleasing his partner rather than in being touched._

## Verb

7. To pelt with stones, especially so as to injure or kill.
   - Simple: To throw stones at someone or something, often to hurt or kill.
   - _The villagers swore they would stone any thief caught in the orchard._
   - _According to the chronicle, the rioters stoned the magistrate's carriage._
8. To make someone intoxicated, especially with cannabis or other narcotics. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To make someone very high using cannabis or other drugs.
   - _One of those potent edibles will stone a first-timer for hours._
   - _The strong new strain stoned the whole group within twenty minutes._
13. To remove the hard central stone from a fruit.
   - Simple: To take the hard middle part, with the seed inside, out of a fruit such as a cherry or peach.
   - _Stone the dates and chop them finely for the cake._
   - _He stoned the peaches and laid the halves on a baking tray._
20. Of fruit, to develop a hard stone or pit during growth.
   - Simple: Of a fruit, to grow a hard part in the middle as it ripens.
21. To line, face or wall up with stones, as a well, a bank or an unwanted opening.
   - Simple: To line or face something with stones, or to close up a doorway or gap by filling it with stones.
22. To smooth a surface by lapping it with an abrasive stone to remove minor irregularities.
   - Simple: To make a metal surface smooth by rubbing it with a hard, gritty block.
   - _Before clamping the part down, the machinist stoned the table to knock off any burrs and dings._
   - _Before assembly, technicians stone every mating surface by hand._
24. To do nothing and stare blankly into space, not paying attention, while bored or relaxed. *(slang, Singapore)*
   - Simple: To sit and do nothing, staring into space when bored or relaxed.
   - _Teenagers stone for hours when there is nothing to do._
   - _During the long meeting, he just stoned and didn't hear a word._

## Adverb

17. Completely or utterly; used informally to intensify certain adjectives, as in stone cold, stone deaf, or stone broke.
   - Simple: Completely, used before some words to make them stronger, as in 'stone cold'.
   - _The engine sat stone cold in the garage all winter._
   - _The fox lay stone dead at the edge of the road._

## Noun

26. A mirror, or the glass that forms it. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A mirror, or the glass part of a mirror.
27. A testicle, in earlier English. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A testicle, in older usage.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–6, 9–12, 14–19, 23, 25–27** — From Middle English ston, from Old English stān, going back through Proto-Germanic *stainaz to the Proto-Indo-European root *steyh₂- ("to stiffen"). It is related to Dutch steen, German Stein, and the Scandinavian words like Swedish sten, and is a doublet of stain and stein.
**Meanings 7–8, 13, 20–22, 24** — From Middle English stonen, from Old English *stānian ("to stone"), from Proto-Germanic *stainōną. It is related to German Low German stenen, Danish stene, and Swedish stena, all meaning "to stone".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/stone (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).