stone
gb/stˈoʊn/ us/stˈoʊn/
A2
English
~ 1100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Small piece of rock
A small, hard piece of rock.
Usage pattern:
a [size/shape] stone
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'stone' with 'rock' without noting that 'stone' often refers to smaller pieces.
Synonyms
rock (General term for solid mineral material, can be larger than a stone.)
|
pebble (Specifically refers to a small, smooth stone, often found on beaches or riverbeds.)
Antonyms
dust (Very fine particles, opposite in size and texture to a stone.)
Collocations
throw a stone
|pick up a stone
|smooth stone
|sharp stone
|pile of stones
Themes
nature
|geography
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He picked up a stone from the path.
- The children were skipping stones across the lake.
- A stone hit the window and cracked the glass.
- They built the wall from large stones.
Learner examples
- I see a stone on the road.
- She throws a stone into the water.
- He finds a small stone in the garden.
Noun
B2
entity
2
Hard mineral mass in body
A hard lump that grows inside the body, like in the kidney or gallbladder.
Usage pattern:
have a [type] stone
Synonyms
calculus (Technical medical term for a stone in the body.)
Collocations
kidney stone
|gallstone
|pass a stone
Themes
health
|medicine
|body
Examples
- The patient was diagnosed with a kidney stone.
- Gallstones can cause severe abdominal pain.
- She had surgery to remove the stones.
Learner examples
- He has a kidney stone.
- Gallstones can make you sick.
- The doctor takes out the stone.
Noun
B1
quantity
3
UK weight unit (14 pounds)
A weight unit in the UK equal to 14 pounds (about 6.35 kilograms).
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'stone' as a weight with the rock meaning; context is important.
Collocations
weigh in stones
|lose a stone
Themes
measurement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He weighs eleven stone.
- She lost two stone on her new diet.
- In Britain, body weight is sometimes measured in stones.
Learner examples
- I weigh ten stone.
- She lost one stone last year.
- He is twelve stone now.
Verb
B2
action
4
Throw stones at target
To throw stones at a person or thing.
Usage pattern:
stone [someone/something]
Synonyms
pelt (General term for throwing objects repeatedly at someone or something.)
Collocations
stone to death
|stone protesters
Themes
violence
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The mob stoned the thief in the marketplace.
- They stoned the car as it drove past.
- She feared being stoned for her actions.
Learner examples
- The boys stone the windows.
- They stone the man in the street.
- People stone the car.
Noun
A2
entity
5
Hard seed inside fruit
The big, hard seed inside some fruits like peaches or cherries.
Synonyms
pit (Common American English term for the hard seed inside fruit.)
Collocations
cherry stone
|remove the stone
Themes
food
|food_drink
Examples
- She accidentally swallowed a cherry stone.
- Remove the stones before baking the pie.
- The peach stone was too hard to break.
Learner examples
- I take out the peach stone.
- Do not eat the cherry stone.
- The plum has a big stone.
Grammar
Dictionary form
stone
IPA
GB/stˈoʊn/
US/stˈoʊn/
Syllables & stress
stone (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (stone)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: stone
- Plural: stone, stones
Verb
- Base: stone
- 3rd Person Singular: stones
- Present Participle: stoning
- Past: stoned
Word family
Expressions
a stepping stone
1/ə stˈɛpɪŋ stˈoʊn/
idiom
Intermediate help toward goal
Something that helps you reach your bigger goal.
Examples
- This job is just a stepping stone to my dream career.
- Winning this award was a stepping stone to greater success.
cast the first stone
1/kˈæst ðə fˈɚst stˈoʊn/
idiom
Judge without self-reflection
To be the first to blame someone even though you also have faults.
Examples
- Before you cast the first stone, think about your own mistakes.
- He cast the first stone without knowing the full story.
leave no stone unturned
1/lˈiv nˈoʊ stˈoʊn ʌntˈɚnd/
idiom
Try every possible way
To try every way you can to do something or find something.
Examples
- The police left no stone unturned in their search for the missing child.
- We will leave no stone unturned to win this contract.
set in stone
1/sˈɛt ˈɪn stˈoʊn/
idiom
fixed and unchangeable
Something that cannot be changed once decided.
Examples
- The schedule isn’t set in stone yet; we can still make changes.
- His decision was set in stone, and nothing could change his mind.
set in stone
2/sˈɛt ˈɪn stˈoʊn/
idiom
Unchangeable decision or rule
To be fixed and not able to change.
Examples
- The schedule is not set in stone yet.
- These rules are set in stone and cannot be altered.
kill two birds with one stone
1/kˈɪl tˈu bˈɚdz wˈɪθ wˈʌn stˈoʊn/
idiom
Achieve two things at once
Do one thing that solves two problems or gives two results at the same time.
Examples
- By cycling to work, he kills two birds with one stone: exercise and saving money.
- By visiting my parents and attending the conference, I killed two birds with one stone.
- She killed two birds with one stone by visiting her friend and delivering the package at the same time.
- Cleaning the garage helped me exercise and tidy up—two birds with one stone.
kill two birds with one stone
2/kˈɪl tˈu bˈɚdz wˈɪθ wˈʌn stˈoʊn/
idiom
Achieve two goals at once
To do two things successfully with one action or effort.
Examples
- By visiting my parents on the way to the conference, I killed two birds with one stone.
- She killed two birds with one stone by shopping while waiting for her car to be repaired.