float-stonen.
/ˈfləʊtstəʊn/, U.S. /ˈfloʊtˌstoʊn/ 1. A bricklayer's rubbing-stone for smoothing the surfaces of bricks used in curved work.
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society > occupation and work > equipment > building and constructing equipment > [noun] > masons' and bricklayers' tools > for cutting or dressing bricks
brick axe?1502
salter1688
banker1700
float-stone1700
bedding-stone1823
bolster1908
1700 Moxon's Mech. Exercises: Bricklayers-wks. 9 Some use a float Stone, with which they rub the moulding of the Brick.
1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art I. 196 The stone upon which bricks cut with curved surfaces are rubbed, is called a float-stone.
2. A stone so light as to float upon water, e.g. a spongy variety of opal.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > stone > [noun] > light stone
swimming stone1758
float-stone1805
1805 R. Jameson Syst. Mineral. II. 552 Floatstone..is light yellowish grey.
1814 F. Shoberl tr. J. Klaproth Trav. Caucasus & Georgia 57 A range of float-stone hills.
1859 D. Page Handbk. Geol. Terms 168 Float-Stone, a variety of earthy silica..Being porous, it swims on water till saturated.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1897; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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