HOLYSTONE


Meaning of HOLYSTONE in English

[ 'həʊlɪstəʊn ]

chiefly historical

■ noun a piece of soft sandstone for scouring a ship's deck.

■ verb scour (a deck) with a ~.

Origin

C19: prob. from holy + stone ; perh. because the stones were used while kneeling.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.