noun
stone
stohn
noun
1
A hard natural material, or a piece of it, such as rock or a pebble.
"He skipped a flat stone across the lake."
2
A precious gem, especially a diamond or other jewel.
"The ring had a large stone set in gold."
3
A British unit of weight equal to 14 pounds, mainly used for a person's body weight.
"He weighs about twelve stone."
4
The hard pit at the center of certain fruits, such as peaches or plums.
"Be careful not to bite down on the stone in the cherry."
verb
1
To throw stones at someone or something, especially as punishment.
"The crowd stoned the vehicle in protest."
How to Use Stone
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA piece of rock, a gem, a fruit pit, or (in the UK) a unit of body weight equal to 14 pounds.
UK vs US
The "stone" as a weight unit (14 lbs) is used in the UK and Ireland, not in the US.
Common pairings
a precious stone
weigh ten stone
stone cold
set in stone
Word Forms
stoned past tense, stones plural, stone plural, stones singular
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He skipped a flat _____ across the lake.
Etymology
From Old English stan, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to stiffen" — related to "stain" and "stein."