limestone

[lahym-stohn]

SEE MORE 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.

RELATED WORDS

conglomerate, shale, chalk, sandstone

Compare marble.

Origin of limestone

First recorded in 1515–25; lime¹ + stone

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

Examples from the Web for limestone

So he and the scouts dug into a limestone hill and built a factory in record speed.
Israel Had a Secret, Underground Bullet Factory|Nina Strochlic|July 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The ship, which was carrying a consignment of limestone, broke in half.
Prince William's Dramatic Rescue Mission Boosts Royals' Image|Tom Sykes|November 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Middlebury is gorgeous, with big, open quads and limestone buildings that echo Yale's.
The Great College Road Trip|Nick Summers|April 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The soul of his output in this period: a series of 20 limestone heads, evocative of African sculpture.
"Mad, Bad Modigliani"|Brad Gooch|March 5, 2011|DAILY BEAST

There was a good deal of sandstone, breccia or puddingstone, but near us on all sides the limestone formation was seen.
Letters from Palestine|J. D. Paxton
Some soils contain a great deal of lime, and because they have been formed from limestone, are called limestone soils.
Conservation Reader|Harold W. Fairbanks
Statuary in limestone, wood, and copper in the early dynastic period was vigorous and realistic.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
The mountains seemed to be a solid mass of limestone, in some places without any covering of foliage.
Pioneers in Canada|Sir Harry Johnston
The promenade is kerbed by a massive sea wall of limestone, and here and there flights of stone steps lead to the water's edge.
Ireland as It Is|Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)

British Dictionary definitions for limestone

limestone

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

Word Origin and History for limestone

late 14c., from lime (n.1) + stone (n.).

Science 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.

Culture definitions for limestone

limestone

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