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
The shop is in Paved Court, a narrow, cobblestone pedestrian street lined with boutique shops, cafes and restaurants.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026
If you’re after fancier threads, Ketchum’s resale shops feature many of the same designer brands represented on St. Moritz’s cobblestone streets for a fraction of the retail price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025
A few distant screeches of brooms on cobblestone, that’s all.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025
They saw farmland give way to fenced lots and cobblestone streets.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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
People are generally more helpful and for getting around there are more things like dropped curbs, although the cobblestones, of which there are lots, are a challenge for a wheelchair user.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2024
A nearby carriage slid sideways across the cobblestones, its horses rearing up in panic.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
