hearthstone
Americannoun
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a stone forming a hearth.
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home; fireside; hearth.
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a soft stone, or a preparation of powdered stone and clay, used to whiten or scour hearths, steps, floors, etc.
noun
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a stone that forms a hearth
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a less common word for hearth
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soft stone used to clean and whiten floors, steps, etc
Etymology
Origin of hearthstone
First recorded in 1275–1325, hearthstone is from the Middle English word hertston. See hearth, stone
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.
For the next century or so, the rubble provided doorsteps and hearthstone for the local populace and mortar for the building trade, while the Turkish garrison used the carved figures for target practice.
From New York Times • Jul. 8, 2022
Kicking it apart, he found that the hearthstone moved.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Last week the grey Walsh mustache bristled more ferociously than ever as he did legislative battle in defense of his summer hearthstone and of a governmental principle.
From Time Magazine Archive
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The city culturally has been a family without a hearthstone.
From Time Magazine Archive
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The floor had been fresh-sanded, the hearthstone polished, the pewter scoured.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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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.