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¹stone

noun \ˈstōn\

: 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

Full 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: 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: as

a : calculus 3a

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

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Origin of STONE

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to STONE

Synonyms: gravestone, headstone, monument, tombstone

Other Weights and Measures Terms

avoirdupois weight, calorie, denier, kip, pace, twain

Rhymes with STONE

blown, bone, clone, cone, crone, drone, flown, groan, grown, hone, known, loan, lone, moan, Mon, none, own, phone, pone, prone, Rhône, roan, Saône, scone, sone, throne, tone, zone

²stone

transitive verb

: to throw stones at (someone or something)

: to kill (someone) by throwing stones

: to remove the hard, large seed of (a fruit)

stonedston·ing

Full Definition of STONE

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

— ston·er noun

First Known Use of STONE

13th century

Related to STONE

Synonyms: edge, grind, hone, sharpen, strop, whet

Antonyms: blunt, dull

³stone

adverb

: totally or completely

Full 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

First Known Use of STONE

13th century

⁴stone

adjective

Definition of STONE

1

: of, relating to, or made of stone

2

: absolute, utter <pure stone craziness — Edwin Shrake>

First Known Use of STONE

14th century

Related to STONE

Synonyms: all-out, arrant, blank, blooming [chiefly British], bodacious [Southern & Midland], categorical (also categoric), clean, complete, consummate, cotton-picking, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, absolute, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very

Stone

biographical name \ˈstōn\

Definition of STONE

Harlan Fiske 1872–1946 Am. jurist; chief justice United States Supreme Court (1941–46)

Stone

biographical name

Definition of STONE

Irving 1903–1989 originally surname Tennenbaum Am. writer

Stone

biographical name

Definition of STONE

Lucy 1818–1893 Am. suffragist

STONE Defined for Kids

¹stone

noun \ˈstōn\

Definition of STONE for Kids

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)

²stone

verb

stonedston·ing

Definition of STONE for Kids

1

: to throw stones at

2

: to remove the stony seeds of <stone cherries>

³stone

adjective

Definition of STONE for Kids

: relating to or made of stone <a stone wall>

⁴stone

adverb

Definition of STONE for Kids

: completely, totally <The soup was stone- cold.>

Medical Dictionary

stone

noun \ˈstōn\

Medical Definition of STONE

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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "stone"

Spanish Central: Spanish 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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Next Word in the Dictionary: Stone Age (noun)Previous Word in the Dictionary: stondAll Words Near: stone

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