limestone

IPA/ˈlaɪmstəʊn/
KK[lˈaɪmstˌon]IPA/ˈlaɪmstəʊn/

limestone — noun

1. a pale sedimentary rock, mostly made of calcium carbonate, that people cut for b

1.nounB2
Definition

a pale sedimentary rock, mostly made of calcium carbonate, that people cut for buildings and use to make lime or cement

Example

Workers repaired the old church with blocks of local limestone from the nearby quarry.

collocation: limestone blocks / limestone quarry

Rain slowly dissolved the limestone walls, leaving long caves under the hill.

geology: water can dissolve limestone

Common collocations
  • limestone cliff
  • limestone cave
  • limestone quarry
  • crushed limestone
Synonyms
  • chalk

    a much softer white limestone that breaks easily

  • marble

    limestone changed by heat and pressure into a harder decorative stone

  • sandstone

    a different building rock made from grains of sand rather than calcium-rich remains

Grammar Patterns

limestone + verb

made of limestone

crushed limestone + noun

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when you mean the material itself. In geology, it can also be countable when speakers compare rock types, as in 'a soft limestone'.

Common Mistakes

These statues are carved from limestones.
These statues are carved from limestone.
When you mean the material, 'limestone' is usually uncountable.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Limestone is a broad everyday term for a calcium-rich rock that is often cut for walls, flooring, and older public buildings. Chalk is a much softer kind of limestone, so it feels lighter and breaks more easily. Marble begins as limestone too, but heat and pressure change it into a denser stone with a polished look. Sandstone is also used in building, yet it is made from packed sand grains, not calcium-rich material. Granite is harder and more speckled, and people often choose it when they need a very tough surface. If a text mentions caves, quarries, or cement, limestone is usually the best fit.

chalk ↗marble ↗sandstone ↗granite ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • limestone quarry
  • limestone cave
  • limestone cliff

Phrases

  • crushed limestone
  • limestone blocks

Prepositions

  • made of limestone

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word joins lime and stone. In Middle English, it named stone that could be burned to make lime, and that older idea still explains why limestone is closely linked with cement and building work today.