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limestone

[ lahym-stohn ]
/ ˈlaɪmˌstoʊn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR limestone ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a sedimentary rock consisting predominantly of calcium carbonate, varieties of which are formed from the skeletons of marine microorganisms and coral: used as a building stone and in the manufacture of lime.

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Compare marble.

Origin of limestone

First recorded in 1515–25; lime1 + stone

Words nearby limestone

limequat, limerence, limerick, limes, limescale, limestone, limestone lettuce, limestone pavement, lime sulfur, lime tree, lime twig
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to limestone

conglomerate, shale, chalk, sandstone

Example sentences from the Web for limestone

British Dictionary definitions for limestone

limestone
/ (ˈlaɪmˌstəʊn) /

noun

a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium carbonate, deposited as the calcareous remains of marine animals or chemically precipitated from the sea: used as a building stone and in the manufacture of cement, lime, etc
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

Scientific definitions for limestone

limestone
[ līm′stōn′ ]

A sedimentary rock consisting primarily of calcium carbonate, often in the form of the minerals calcite or aragonite, and sometimes with magnesium carbonate in the form of dolomite. Minor amounts of silica, feldspar, pyrite, and clay may also be present. Limestone can occur in many colors but is usually white, gray, or black. It forms either through the accumulation and compaction of fossil shells or other calcium-carbonate based marine organisms, such as coral, or through the chemical precipitation of calcium carbonate out of sea water.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for limestone

limestone

Sedimentary rock formed primarily of calcium carbonate, often the skeletons of small marine organisms.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.