I. ˈstōn 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
•
- in stone
II. transitive verb
( stoned ; ston·ing )
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
• ston·er 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