stone
1 of 4noun
ˈstōn 
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)
: 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: such as
a
: calculus sense 3a
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
a
: curling stone
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 4verb
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 4adverb
: entirely, utterly —used as an intensive —often used in combination
stone-brokestone-dead
stone
4 of 4adjective
1
: of, relating to, or made of stone
2
: absolute, utter
pure stone craziness
Edwin Shrake
Edwin Shrake
Synonyms
Noun
- gravestone
- headstone
- monument
- tombstone
Verb
- edge
- grind
- hone
- sharpen
- strop
- whet
Adjective
- absolute
- all-out
- arrant
- blank
- blooming [chiefly British]
- bodacious [Southern & Midland]
- categorical
- categoric
- clean
- complete
- consummate
- 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
- straight-out
- thorough
- thoroughgoing
- total
- unadulterated
- unalloyed
- unconditional
- unmitigated
- unqualified
- utter
- very
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web Kevin Scarbinsky | Special To Al.com, al, 11 Sep. 2022 In the 2011 University of Chicago Press reprint of The Art of the Novel—a curated selection of the prefaces James wrote for many of his own works—Tóibín leaves no stone unturned. Je Banach, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2022 According to reports, Legoretta completed the Silver home in 2001, crafting a modernist mansion from elegant pink stone that reflects both the architect’s Mexican heritage and the home’s Southern California location. David Kaufman, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2022 Place oven rack and pizza stone 8 inches from the bottom of the oven. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Two birds, one stone. With the help of an artist friend, Kyrie created her 3D character model, Kyrie Overdrive, through the free software called VRoid. WIRED, 4 Sep. 2022 Massoud Besharat is an Iranian American, now in his seventies, who has long owned a local stone-cutting-tool manufacturing company, a quarry in the area, and art galleries in downtown Atlanta and in a small town in France. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2022 To date, Brown has restored more than 6,000 grave markers, bronze or stone, inside 600 different cemeteries across Indiana. Mykal Mceldowney, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Sep. 2022 Jeremy was stunned to unearth an old stone tiled path leading from the lagoon to the nearby river, with a fountain near its center, during the renovation process. Tamara Hardingham-gill, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022 Chris Burton, Outside Online, 7 June 2021 The Paiute Indians who long ago called this area home believed that these thin spires of rock were once an entire race called the Legend People, who were turned to stone for bad deeds by Coyote. Emily Pennington, Outside Online, 26 May 2020 There’s no extradiegetic sound at all — just the forest’s chirping melodies and the rustling and chopping and hammering of insects, birds, wind in leaves, stone on wood. New York Times, 6 Apr. 2022 Much of the technology was developed for use by the U.S. military in Iraq as part of a project dubbed Gorgon Stare after the mythical Greek monster that could turn men to stone with a glance. Todd Richmond, ajc, 3 Nov. 2021 Played by the underwhelming Gemma Chan, Sirse is a Sino-English anthropologist who can turn things to stone or to dust. Kyle Smith, National Review, 31 Oct. 2021 And the superb Baryshnikov somehow turns his body to stone, ending the colloquy. Joan Acocella, The New York Review of Books, 14 May 2020 Gorgon Medusa can Turn you to stone just by Looking your way. Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2021 And the symmetry was beautifully designed: the former handmaids (and maybe Marthas) arranged in a perfect circle around him, just as they’d been trained to do when told to stone and kill one of their own kind. Hillary Kelly, Vulture, 16 June 2021 Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2022 Over 30 pieces are available for sale by Hopi jeweler Charles Loloma, with prices expected to rise up to $60,000 for a multi-stone and gold cuff (top), the peaks and ridges of which call to mind the landscapes of his native Arizona. Kate Matthams, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2021 Hints of jasmine float over notes of apple, green melon, and lime, with a lovely wet-stone quality underneath. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 5 July 2021 Like the name indicates, a multi-stone ring has multiple stones that compete for attention, which can be a good thing. Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 8 June 2021 White blossom aromas are touched by a salty sea breeze mixed with grapefruit and wet-stone minerality. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 17 May 2021 Hints of honeysuckle float above lemon, fresh herbs and wet-stone minerality on the nose, with beautiful ripe stone fruit, grapefruit and guava following on the palate. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2021 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 See More
Noun
The receivers generated little separation and, on multiple occasions, watched their hands turn to stone. Kevin Scarbinsky | Special To Al.com, al, 11 Sep. 2022 In the 2011 University of Chicago Press reprint of The Art of the Novel—a curated selection of the prefaces James wrote for many of his own works—Tóibín leaves no stone unturned. Je Banach, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2022 According to reports, Legoretta completed the Silver home in 2001, crafting a modernist mansion from elegant pink stone that reflects both the architect’s Mexican heritage and the home’s Southern California location. David Kaufman, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2022 Place oven rack and pizza stone 8 inches from the bottom of the oven. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Two birds, one stone. With the help of an artist friend, Kyrie created her 3D character model, Kyrie Overdrive, through the free software called VRoid. WIRED, 4 Sep. 2022 Massoud Besharat is an Iranian American, now in his seventies, who has long owned a local stone-cutting-tool manufacturing company, a quarry in the area, and art galleries in downtown Atlanta and in a small town in France. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2022 To date, Brown has restored more than 6,000 grave markers, bronze or stone, inside 600 different cemeteries across Indiana. Mykal Mceldowney, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Sep. 2022 Jeremy was stunned to unearth an old stone tiled path leading from the lagoon to the nearby river, with a fountain near its center, during the renovation process. Tamara Hardingham-gill, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022 Verb
For the individual sleeping bags, NEMO is exploring options from compostable PLA bags—biodegradable bags made from plant compounds—to stone resin packaging, a waterproof cardboard substitute made by mixing resin with calcium carbonate. Chris Burton, Outside Online, 7 June 2021 The Paiute Indians who long ago called this area home believed that these thin spires of rock were once an entire race called the Legend People, who were turned to stone for bad deeds by Coyote. Emily Pennington, Outside Online, 26 May 2020 There’s no extradiegetic sound at all — just the forest’s chirping melodies and the rustling and chopping and hammering of insects, birds, wind in leaves, stone on wood. New York Times, 6 Apr. 2022 Much of the technology was developed for use by the U.S. military in Iraq as part of a project dubbed Gorgon Stare after the mythical Greek monster that could turn men to stone with a glance. Todd Richmond, ajc, 3 Nov. 2021 Played by the underwhelming Gemma Chan, Sirse is a Sino-English anthropologist who can turn things to stone or to dust. Kyle Smith, National Review, 31 Oct. 2021 And the superb Baryshnikov somehow turns his body to stone, ending the colloquy. Joan Acocella, The New York Review of Books, 14 May 2020 Gorgon Medusa can Turn you to stone just by Looking your way. Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2021 And the symmetry was beautifully designed: the former handmaids (and maybe Marthas) arranged in a perfect circle around him, just as they’d been trained to do when told to stone and kill one of their own kind. Hillary Kelly, Vulture, 16 June 2021 Adjective
Lovely wet-stone minerality melds with delicate white blossoms as the wine opens, with Asian citrus—along the lines of yuzu or Buddha’s hand—joining up with white nectarine aromas. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2022 Over 30 pieces are available for sale by Hopi jeweler Charles Loloma, with prices expected to rise up to $60,000 for a multi-stone and gold cuff (top), the peaks and ridges of which call to mind the landscapes of his native Arizona. Kate Matthams, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2021 Hints of jasmine float over notes of apple, green melon, and lime, with a lovely wet-stone quality underneath. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 5 July 2021 Like the name indicates, a multi-stone ring has multiple stones that compete for attention, which can be a good thing. Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 8 June 2021 White blossom aromas are touched by a salty sea breeze mixed with grapefruit and wet-stone minerality. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 17 May 2021 Hints of honeysuckle float above lemon, fresh herbs and wet-stone minerality on the nose, with beautiful ripe stone fruit, grapefruit and guava following on the palate. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2021 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 See More 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
Phrases Containing stone
Kids Definition
stone 1 of 4
noun
ˈstōn
1
: earth or mineral matter hardened in a mass : rock
2
: a piece of rock coarser than gravel
Don't throw stones.
3
: gem sense 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)
stone
2 of 4verb
stoned; stoning
1
: to throw stones at
2
: to remove the stony seeds of
stone cherries
stone
3 of 4adjective
: relating to or made of stone
a stone wall
stone
4 of 4adverb
: completely, totally
The soup was stone-cold.
Medical Definition
stone
noun
ˈstōn
1
: calculus sense 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)
ˈstōn
Harlan Fiske 1872–1946 American jurist; chief justice U.S. Supreme Court (1941–46)
Stone
2 of 3biographical name (2)
Irving 1903–1989 originally surname Tennenbaum American writer
Stone
3 of 3biographical name (3)
Lucy 1818–1893 American suffragist
stones 1 of 2
noun
as in tombstones
a shaped stone laid over or erected near a grave and usually bearing an inscription to identify and preserve the memory of the deceased an engraved stone identified the grave as that of a man who had died in the Influenza Epidemic of 1918-19 Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- tombstones
- monuments
- gravestones
- headstones
- plaques
- markers
- tombs
- obelisks
- crosses
- pillars
- monoliths
- tablets
- tables
- shrines
- memorials
- sepulchres
- sepulchers
- burials
- sepultures
stones
2 of 2verb
as in sharpens
to make sharp or sharper the diorama showed a villager stoning a scythe Synonyms & Similar Words
- sharpens
- edges
- grinds
- strops
- hones
- files
- whets
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- blunts
- rounds
- polishes
- dulls
- glosses
- smoothes
- smooths
- buffs
- burnishes