a much-weathered limestone, rich in silica: used in powdered form for polishing metal
rottenstone in American English
(ˈrɑtənˌstoʊn)
noun
a siliceous limestone decomposed to a friable state, used for polishing metals
rottenstone in American English
(ˈrɑtnˌstoun)
noun
a friable stone resulting from the decomposition of a siliceous limestone, used as a powder for polishingmetals
Word origin
[1670–80; rotten + stone]This word is first recorded in the period 1670–80. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: bonding, cohesion, festoon, fund, plan
Examples of 'rottenstone' in a sentence
rottenstone
Brass lamps may be cleaned with oil and rottenstone every day when trimmed.
Mrs. Isabella Beeton The Book of Household Management (1861). Retrieved in 2019 from Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/)