gravestone

[greyv-stohn]

See more synonyms for gravestone on Thesaurus.com

noun

a stone marking a grave, usually giving the name, date of death, etc., of the person buried there.

Origin of gravestone

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at grave¹, stone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for gravestone

Contemporary Examples

Also, Killer Blues did not make a gravestone for Gatemouth Brown.
Blues Musicians in Unmarked Graves Are Finally Getting Some Respect
Malcolm Jones
January 12, 2014
He kneeled by the gravestone of Corporal James Cavaco and placed a rock on top of it.
Black Hawk Down’s Long Shadow
Daniel Klaidman
October 9, 2013
But within a year he came up with his best-ever idea—encapsulated in an equation that he said he wanted on his gravestone.
Stephen Hawking 70th-Birthday Salute
Martin Rees
January 8, 2012
His gravestone, which read "Ich hab's gewagt," or "I have dared," was taken down, according to Germany's Spiegel Online.
Neo-Nazi Hero Taken From Grave
Eve Conant
July 22, 2011
Soon the gravestone disappeared under all the floral tributes.
When France Adored Us
Jill Jonnes
July 3, 2009

Historical Examples

All around were graves, and the rider found he had a gravestone under him!
Russian Fairy Tales
W. R. S. Ralston
On my word, that must be the gravestone of Preben Schwane and his wife!
What the Moon Saw: and Other Tales
Hans Christian Andersen
He slowly recovered calmness, and remained leaning on the gravestone.
The Daughters of Danaus
Mona Caird
Do you know, Uniacke, it seems—it seems to me that the gravestone has been defaced.
Tongues of Conscience
Robert Smythe Hichens
"My wife's gravestone is the parrots' roosting place," said Fernando.
When the Owl Cries
Paul Bartlett

British Dictionary definitions for gravestone

gravestone

noun

a stone marking a grave and usually inscribed with the name and dates of the person buried

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

Word Origin and History for gravestone

n.

late 14c., "stone over a grave;" c.1200, "stone coffin," from grave (n.) + stone (n.).

gravestone

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}gravestone

Examples from the Web for gravestone

Contemporary Examples

Also, Killer Blues did not make a gravestone for Gatemouth Brown.

He kneeled by the gravestone of Corporal James Cavaco and placed a rock on top of it.

But within a year he came up with his best-ever idea—encapsulated in an equation that he said he wanted on his gravestone.

His gravestone, which read "Ich hab's gewagt," or "I have dared," was taken down, according to Germany's Spiegel Online.

Soon the gravestone disappeared under all the floral tributes.

Historical Examples

All around were graves, and the rider found he had a gravestone under him!

On my word, that must be the gravestone of Preben Schwane and his wife!

He slowly recovered calmness, and remained leaning on the gravestone.

Do you know, Uniacke, it seems—it seems to me that the gravestone has been defaced.

"My wife's gravestone is the parrots' roosting place," said Fernando.

gravestone

Word Origin and History for gravestone

n.

Origin of gravestone