gravel

[ grav-uh l ]

/ ˈgræv əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gravel ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

small stones and pebbles, or a mixture of these with sand.

Pathology.

multiple small calculi formed in the kidneys.
the disease characterized by such concretions.

verb (used with object), grav·eled, grav·el·ing or (especially British) grav·elled, grav·el·ling.

to cover with gravel.

to bring to a standstill from perplexity; puzzle.

Informal. to be a cause of irritation to.

Obsolete. to run (a ship) aground, as on a beach.

adjective

harsh and grating: a gravel voice.

Nearby words

grave, grave clothes, grave-wax, graveclothes, gravedigger, gravel, gravel-blind, gravel-voiced, graveldiver, gravelly, gravely

Origin of gravel

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French gravele, diminutive of grave sandy shore, perhaps < Celtic; cf. grave⁴, growan

Related forms

grav·el·ish, adjectiveun·grav·eled, adjectiveun·grav·elled, adjectivewell-grav·eled, adjective

well-grav·elled, adjective

Can be confused

gavel gravel grovel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gravel

They dress in clothing from the flophouse lost-and-found and are groomed with a hacksaw and gravel rake.
Up to a Point: They Made Me Write About Lena Dunham|P. J. O’Rourke|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The truck pulls the guitar over railroad tracks, through rocks and gravel, whatever, and the guitar is still speaking.
Greil Marcus Talks About Trying to Unlock Rock and Roll in 10 Songs|Allen Barra|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There, in his cluttered office at the end of a gravel lane, I came face to face with one of my unsung literary heroes.
A Ghostwriter Steps Out of the Shadows|Bill Morris|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The guard is first seen marching up and down the gravel forecourt, before breaking into pirouettes.
Hunt To Identify Pirouetting 'Bearskin' Guardsman Who Shamed Army|Tom Sykes|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It is simply a gravel yard walled off by sand bastions and concrete barriers.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By-and-by this gives place to more open scenery as we approach the Gravel Mine, which is believed to be of Roman origin.
Nooks and Corners of Shropshire|H. Thornhill Timmins
The gravel is soft and can be hydraulicked, during the summer.
The Boy With the U.S. Miners|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
There are many other ridges of gravel within the bar, but this only is proper for their use.
North Devon Pottery and Its Export to America in the 17th Century|C. Malcolm Watkins
At last, however, I stood safe beside my chum on the gravel walk.
My Friend Smith|Talbot Baines Reed
With this arrangement it was possible to heat the gravel to a temperature of 80° or 90° F. even during the coldest weather.
Concrete Construction|Halbert P. Gillette

British Dictionary definitions for gravel

gravel

/ (ˈɡrævəl) /

noun

an unconsolidated mixture of rock fragments that is coarser than sand

geology a mixture of rock fragments with diameters in the range 4–76 mm

pathol small rough calculi in the kidneys or bladder

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled (tr)

to cover with gravel

to confound or confuse

US informal to annoy or disturb

Derived Forms

gravelish, adjective

Word Origin for gravel

C13: from Old French gravele, diminutive of grave gravel, perhaps of Celtic origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for gravel

gravel

[ grăv′əl ]

n.

Sandlike concretions of uric acid, calcium oxalate, and mineral salts formed in the passages of the biliary and urinary tracts.

gravel

noun

verb (used with object), grav·eled, grav·el·ing or (especially British) grav·elled, grav·el·ling.

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of gravel

Related forms

Can be confused

Examples from the Web for gravel

British Dictionary definitions for gravel

gravel

noun

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled (tr)

Derived Forms

Word Origin for gravel

Medicine definitions for gravel

gravel

n.