English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old English stān.

Noun

stone (countable and uncountable; plural stones except as shown below)

1. (uncountable) A hard earthen substance that can form large rocks and boulders.
2. A small piece of stone.
3. (UK) (plural stone) A unit of mass equal to 14 pounds. Used to measure the weights of people, animals, cheese, wool, etc.

   Quotations

   • 1882: Generally, however, the stone or petra, almost always of 14 lbs., is used, the tod of 28 lbs., and the sack of thirteen stone. — James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, Volume 4, p. 209.

4. (medical) A hard, stone-like deposit.

   kidney stone

5. A piece made of any hard material, used in various board games such as backgammon.

Synonyms

• (substance): rock
• (small piece of stone): pebble
• (hard stone-like deposit): calculus

Translations

substance

small piece of stone

unit of mass

medical: hard, stone-like deposit

piece of hard material used in board games

The translations below need to be checked by native speakers and inserted into the appropriate table(s) above. Note: the numbering is not necessarily correct.

• Dutch: steen m (1, 2, 3), stuk n (4), pion m (4)
• Latin: saxum n; petra f

Transitive verb

to stone

1. To kill by pelting with stones.
2. (slang, usually in the passive) To intoxicate, especially with narcotics.

Translations

kill by pelting with stones

to intoxicate, especially with narcotics

• German: sich berauschen

Adjective

stone

1. Constructed of stone.

   stone walls

2. Having the appearance of stone.

   stone pot

Translations

constructed of stone

having the appearance of stone

Adverb

stone (no comparative or superlative)

1. Absolutely, completely (used only in certain set phrases)

   stone dead

   stone deaf

Translations

absolutely, completely

See also

• gallstone
• kidney stone
• Philosopher's Stone, Philosophers' Stone
• stone cold
• stoned
• stone dead
• stone deaf
• stonewall