■ noun
1》 hard, solid non-metallic mineral matter of which rock is made.
↘a small piece of ~ found on the ground.
↘a piece of ~ shaped for a purpose, especially one of commemoration or demarcation.
↘ Astronomy a meteorite made of rock, as opposed to metal.
↘ Medicine a gall~ or kidney ~; a calculus.
2》 a gem.
3》 a hard seed in a cherry, plum, peach, etc.
4》 ( plural same) Brit. a unit of weight equal to 14 lb (6.35 kg).
5》 a whitish or brownish-grey colour.
■ verb
1》 throw ~s at in order to injure or kill.
2》 remove the ~ from (a fruit).
3》 build, face, or pave with ~.
■ adverb extremely or totally: ~ cold.
Phrases
be written (or carved or set ) in ~ be fixed and unchangeable.
leave no ~ unturned try every possible course of action in order to achieve something.
a ~'s throw a short distance.
Derivatives
~less adjective
Origin
OE stān (n.), of Gmc origin.