| 释义 |
grav·el
I. \ˈgravəl\ noun
(-s)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French gravele, from Old French, diminutive of grave, greve pebbly ground, pebbly shore, perhaps of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Breton grouanenn sand, Welsh gro — more at grit
1. obsolete : sand
2.
a. : loose or unconsolidated material consisting wholly or chiefly of rounded fragments of rock ranging in size from 2 millimeters to a meter or more in diameter — compare conglomerate, sand
b. : a stratum of such material or a surface (as of a walk) covered with such material
3. : a light grayish yellowish brown that is yellower and paler than almond brown and stronger than Cuban sand — called also meerschaum
4.
a. : a deposit of small calculous concretions in the kidneys and urinary bladder
b. : the condition of having such a deposit
II. verb
(graveled or gravelled ; graveled or gravelled ; graveling or gravelling \-v(ə)liŋ\ ; gravels)
transitive verb
1. : to cover or spread with gravel
2.
a. : to put at a loss : perplex, confuse, nonplus
< completely graveled by his sister's reasoning >
b. : irritate, annoy, embarrass, bother
< those recurrent minor frictions that gravel the soul >
< used to gravel her by saying that no great poet ever had such a loyal friend — Christopher Morley >
3. : to lame (a horse) by gravel lodged between the shoe and foot
intransitive verb
1. dialect : to dig in gravel
< a dog graveling for a bone >
2. of a bird : to replenish the crop with gravel
3. of rock : to wear down to gravel
III. adjective
: harsh and usually irritating — used chiefly of the human voice |