limestone
gb/lˈaɪmstˌoʊn/ us/lˈaɪmstˌoʊn/
B2
English
~ 8900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
sedimentary rock made of calcium carbonate
A type of light-colored rock made mostly from calcium, often formed in the sea, that is used to make buildings, roads, and other materials.
Usage pattern:
limestone [rock/cliff/building/soil]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat 'limestone' as a regular countable noun and say *a limestone* when they should say 'a piece of limestone' or 'a block of limestone'. Another confusion is thinking that 'limestone' and 'chalk' are always the same; chalk is actually a specific soft type of limestone.
Synonyms
calcium carbonate rock (More technical and explicit about the chemical composition; less common in everyday speech.)
|
chalk (A softer, fine-grained form of limestone; only a synonym when referring to that specific type of limestone.)
Antonyms
granite (A hard igneous rock often contrasted with softer limestone in geology and construction contexts.)
Collocations
limestone rock
|limestone cliffs
|limestone cave
|limestone quarry
|limestone pavement
|limestone building
Themes
science
|environment
|construction
|nature
Examples
- The cliffs along this part of the coast are made of pale limestone.
- Farmers spread crushed limestone on their fields to reduce soil acidity.
- The old church was built from local limestone and sandstone.
- Rainwater slowly dissolves limestone, creating deep caves and underground rivers.
- The quarry supplies limestone for cement production and road construction.
Learner examples
- The walls of the castle are built from limestone.
- We walked through a large cave in the limestone hills.
- Many farmers use limestone to improve their soil.
- This rock is soft because it is limestone.
- Limestone can slowly melt in rainwater over many years.
Grammar
Dictionary form
limestone
IPA
GB/lˈaɪmstˌoʊn/
US/lˈaɪmstˌoʊn/
Syllables & stress
lime - stone (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (lime)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: limestone
- Plural: limestone, limestones
Word family
Forms
limestones
noun
Related words
lime
noun A2
limy
adjective
Advanced or less common
calcareous
adjective
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.