stones
/stəʊn/ (bre, ipa) · [stˈonz] /stoʊn/ (ame, ipa)
stones — noun
1. pieces of natural rock used for building, paving, or similar practical purposes.
pieces of natural rock used for building, paving, or similar practical purposes.
Children lined the garden path with flat stones from the river.
collocation: flat stones line a path
Workers stacked heavy stones beside the church wall before dawn.
Small stones rattled under the truck wheels on the farm road.
Mira filled the fire circle with smooth stones from the beach.
文法句型
flat stones
building stones
stones on the path
用法筆記
Usually names separate pieces. Distinguish from sense 4, which is about decorative gems used in jewellery.
常見錯誤
2. hard lumps that form inside organs such as the kidney or bladder and often cause
hard lumps that form inside organs such as the kidney or bladder and often cause sharp pain.
Doctors found stones in Rachid's kidney after the night of pain.
medical pattern: stones in the kidney
The scan showed tiny stones blocking the tube near the bladder.
After surgery, Charlotte went home once the stones were removed.
Too little water can help stones form in hot weather.
- calculi
medical and much more formal
文法句型
kidney stones
stones in the kidney
remove stones
用法筆記
Most often appears in combinations such as kidney stones or bladder stones. Distinguish from sense 5, which is the hard centre of a fruit.
常見錯誤
3. British measures of body weight, with each one worth fourteen pounds.
British measures of body weight, with each one worth fourteen pounds.
By spring, Felipe had lost two stones through daily walking.
pattern: lose two stones
Old clinic notes listed patients' weights in stones and pounds.
British measure: stones and pounds
The trainer warned that three extra stones would strain his knees.
My uncle said he felt lighter after dropping two stones.
文法句型
lose two stones
weights in stones and pounds
several stones heavier
用法筆記
Mainly British and especially common in informal talk about a person's weight. After exact numbers, many speakers also use singular stone.
4. small valuable minerals that are cut and put into rings, necklaces, and other je
small valuable minerals that are cut and put into rings, necklaces, and other jewellery.
The ring sparkled because tiny blue stones circled the diamond.
jewellery pattern: stones around a diamond
A jeweller replaced the missing stones in my grandmother's brooch.
Andres sold loose stones to a workshop near the market.
The necklace used green stones instead of real emeralds.
文法句型
precious stones
set with stones
loose stones
用法筆記
A common everyday word for gems in jewellery. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about ordinary rock used in building or on the ground.
常見錯誤
5. hard centres inside fruits such as cherries, peaches, and plums.
hard centres inside fruits such as cherries, peaches, and plums.
Jisoo spits the cherry stones into a paper cup.
collocation: cherry stones
The children planted avocado stones in jars by the window.
Grandma saves the plum stones before cooking the jam.
Sirin cracked the date stones to feed the small goats.
- pits
more common in American English
文法句型
cherry stones
remove the stones
stones from plums
用法筆記
Used especially in British English for the hard centre of certain fruits. Sense 6 is unrelated and belongs to the sport of curling.
常見錯誤
6. heavy rounded objects that players slide across the ice in the game of curling.
heavy rounded objects that players slide across the ice in the game of curling.
Canada's lead player sent two stones close to the middle circle.
curling pattern: send stones close to the circle
The sweepers ran beside the stones as they crossed the ice.
Only red stones remained in play after the final shot.
The coach asked the team to clean the stones after practice.
- curling rocks
a plain descriptive phrase rather than the standard term
文法句型
curling stones
send stones down the ice
stones in play
用法筆記
Only used in the sport of curling. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about ordinary rocks or building material.
stones — verb
- stonespresent simple I / you / we / they
- stoneses3rd person singular
- stonesing-ing form
- stonesedpast simple
1. throws rocks at a person or thing in order to hurt, frighten, or damage it.
throws rocks at a person or thing in order to hurt, frighten, or damage it.
The angry boy stones the bus stop sign whenever matches end.
pattern: stone + object
During protests, the crowd stones police vans near the square.
A farmer yells when anyone stones his sheep from the lane.
The gang stones empty windows before running toward the bridge.
文法句型
stone a car
stone a building
stone someone
用法筆記
Usually takes a direct object. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is ordinary attacking by throwing rocks, not formal execution.
常見錯誤
2. kills someone by throwing rocks at them as an official or ritual punishment.
kills someone by throwing rocks at them as an official or ritual punishment.
The film shows a mob that stones a prisoner in silence.
pattern: stone a prisoner
The story describes a tribe that stones thieves after trial.
In the novel, the crowd stones the woman outside town.
That strict code stones people for breaking marriage laws.
- execute
far broader and does not specify the method
文法句型
stone a prisoner
stone someone to death
stone people for a crime
用法筆記
Mostly appears in historical, religious, or human-rights contexts. Distinguish from sense 1, where the aim may be damage or intimidation rather than execution.
常見錯誤
3. takes the hard centre out of fruit before cooking, preserving, or eating it.
takes the hard centre out of fruit before cooking, preserving, or eating it.
Elise stones the plums before adding them to the tart.
pattern: stone + fruit before cooking
The cook stones olives at the sink after breakfast service.
Nikhil stones fresh cherries while his sister mixes the batter.
Before drying apricots, the factory stones each fruit by hand.
- pit
the more common verb in American English
文法句型
stone cherries
stone plums
stone olives
用法筆記
Used mainly for food preparation and takes fruit as its object. It is close in meaning to pit in American English.