cobblestone
Americannoun
-
cobblestones
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cobblestone
First recorded in 1400–50, cobblestone is from the late Middle English word cobylstone. See cobble 1, stone
Explanation
Cobblestones are rounded rocks that were commonly used to pave streets starting in the 15th century. In some very old cities, you can still walk and drive over cobblestones. Cobblestone is often used to describe a square granite paver known as a sett or a Belgian block. Authentic cobblestones, which are round and slightly irregular in size, were used as they were found in nature rather than being carved into shape the way setts are. The word comes from cob, or "lump." Strolling down a cobblestone street can feel a little precarious, especially if you're wearing high-heeled shoes!
Vocabulary lists containing cobblestone
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Or they can stroll down the nearby Paved Court, the same cobblestone alley where Lasso lived during the first three seasons of the show.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
When he returns from a day of walking cobblestone streets or a bike tour, he expects a warm towel and afternoon tea, not a DJ.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
A few distant screeches of brooms on cobblestone, that’s all.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025
Footage shared on social media showed the crumpled yellow funicular overturned on the cobblestone street and people running from the area as smoke filled the air.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2025
The school was an old two-story building with broken windows and dim, cobblestone hallways, patches of its original dull yellow paint still showing between sloughing chunks of plaster.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
Tanks, jeeps and amphibious vehicles rolled over the cobblestones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The gray skies part, the clouds lift and a warm maternal comfort spreads across the film, creeping in like the sun’s rays falling on cobblestones still shining from a sudden downpour.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
Once on the Parisian cobblestones, he could well become the real attraction.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
“There’s so much texture when you’re looking at walls, streets, the surfaces of buildings, the cobblestones, stairways. It’s granite, plaster, rock, marble, whatever it is, and in black and white, it emphasizes the texture.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2024
It isn’t like the church’s courtyard, with ancient cobblestones and bird droppings.
From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
