- stone
-
I. noun
Etymology: 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-
Date: before 12th century
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
II. transitive verb
(stoned; stoning)
Date: 13th century
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
• stoner noun
III. adverb
Date: 13th century
entirely, utterly — used as an intensive; often used in combination <stone-broke> <stone-cold soup> <stone-dead> IV. adjective Date: 14th century 1. of, relating to, or made of stone 2. absolute, utter <pure stone craziness — Edwin Shrake>
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
