I. ˈgra-vəl noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French gravele, diminutive of grave, greve river bank, stony ground
Date: 13th century
1. obsolete : sand
2.
a. : loose rounded fragments of rock
b. : a stratum or deposit of gravel ; also : a surface covered with gravel
a gravel road
3. : small calculi in the kidneys and urinary bladder
II. transitive verb
( -eled or -elled ; -el·ing or grav·el·ling ˈgrav-liŋ, ˈgra-və-)
Date: 1543
1. : to cover or spread with gravel
2.
a. : perplex , confound
b. : irritate , nettle
disappointed…and gravel ed him a good deal — Mark Twain
III. adjective
Date: 1939
: gravelly 2 — used of the human voice