Stone

Stone, stōn, n. a hard mass of earthy or mineral matter, the hard material of which rock consists: a piece of rock of a certain size or form, or for a particular purpose, as grindstone, millstone, &c.: a precious stone or gem, a crystal mirror: a tombstone: a concretion formed in the bladder: a hard shell containing the seed of some fruits: a standard weight of 14 lb. avoirdupois (other stones occur, as that of 24 lb. for wool, 22 lb. for hay, 16 lb. for cheese, &c.): torpor and insensibility.—adj. made of stone, or of stoneware.—v.t. to pelt with stones: to free from stones: to wall with stones.—n. Stone′-age, the condition of a people using stone as the material for the cutting-tools and weapons which, in a higher condition of culture, were made of metals.—adj. Stone′-blind, as blind as a stone, perfectly blind.—ns. Stone′-boil′ing, a primitive method of making water boil by putting hot stones in it; Stone′-bow, a crossbow for shooting stones: a children's catapult; Stone′-brash, a soil made up of finely-broken rock; Stone′-break, the meadow-saxifrage; Stone′-break′er, one who, or that which, breaks stones, a stone-crushing machine; Stone′-bruise, a bruise caused by a stone, esp. on the sole of the foot from walking barefooted; Stone′-cast, Stone's′-cast, Stone′-shot, Stone's′-throw, the distance which a stone may be thrown by the hand; Stone′chat, Stone′chatter, Stone′clink, one of the most common of the British Turdidæ, smaller than the redbreast—the Wheat-ear is the true stonechat.—n.pl. Stone′-cir′cles, or Circles of Standing Stones, popularly but erroneously called Druidical Circles in Britain, and Cromlechs in France, consist of unhewn stones set up at intervals round the circumference of a circular area usually of level ground.—n. Stone′-coal, mineral coal, as opposed to charcoal: any hard coal, anthracite.—adj. Stone′-cold, cold as a stone.—n. Stone′-col′our, the colour of stone, grayish.—adj. Stone′-col′oured.—ns. Stone′-cor′al, massive coral, as distinguished from branching or tree coral; Stone′crop, the wall-pepper, Sedum acre; Stone′-curlew, a large species of plover; Stone′-cut′ter, one whose occupation is to hew stone; Stone′-cut′ting, the business of hewing and carving stones for walls, monuments, &c.—adjs. Stoned, containing stones; Stone′-dead, lifeless; Stone′-deaf, quite deaf.—ns. Stone′-dress′er, one who prepares stones for building; Stone′-fal′con, a species of hawk or falcon which builds its nest among the rocks; Stone′-fly, a genus of insects typical of the order Plecoptera—several species are native to Britain, and furnish good lures to anglers; Stone′-fruit, a fruit whose seeds are enclosed in a hard kernel; Stone′-ham′mer, a hammer for breaking stones.—adjs. Stone′-hard (Shak.), as hard as a stone; Stone′-heart′ed (Shak.), hard-hearted, cruel, pitiless.—ns. Stone′horse, a stallion; Stone′-lil′y, the popular name of an Encrinite; Stone′-mā′son, a mason who works with stone; Stone′-mill, a machine for breaking stone; Stone′-oil, rock-oil, petroleum; Stone′-pine, a Mediterranean nut-pine; Stone′-plov′er, the stone-curlew; Stō′ner, one who strikes or kills with stones; Stone′-rag, -raw, a lichen, Parmelia saxatilis; Stone′-snipe, the greater tell-tale or long-legged tattler, a common North American bird.—adj. Stone′-still (Shak.), as still as a stone, motionless.—ns. Stone′ware, a coarse kind of potter's ware baked hard and glazed; Stone′-work, mason-work.—adv. Stō′nily.—n. Stō′niness, the state of being stony or abounding with stones: hardness of heart or mind.—adjs. Stō′ny, made of, or resembling, stone: abounding with stones: hard: pitiless: obdurate: (B.) rocky; Stō′ny-heart′ed, hard-hearted, cruel, pitiless.—Leave no stone unturned, to do everything that can be done in order to secure the effect desired; Mark with a white stone, to mark as particularly fortunate. [A.S. stán; Ger. stein, Dut. steen.]