limestone

American  

[lahym-stohn] / ˈlaɪmˌstoʊn /

noun

• limestones
  plural

1. 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.

---

limestone British  

/ ˈlaɪmˌstəʊn /

noun

1. 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

---

limestone Scientific  

/ līm′stōn′ /

1. 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.

---

limestone Cultural  

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

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• limestones
  plural

Etymology

Origin of limestone

First recorded in 1515–25; lime ² + stone

Compare meaning

How does limestone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• limestone vs. travertine

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

limestone limestones

In the front gardens, yellow and red roses bloom to match the houses’ exteriors; in the back, a sunny 4-foot cocktail pool with a natural limestone border awaits guests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

He explained Headon Warren, a nationally important maritime heathland and rare limestone grassland, supported a range of wildlife, including Dartford warblers, nightjars, whitethroats and stonechats.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

The limestone landscape in the region has very little soil, making traditional underground nesting sites scarce.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

Then, if the system is visible from the street, local officials can refuse if it mars the iconic, limestone facades of the city’s Haussmannian buildings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

The limestone blocks were so old, they had fused together from centuries of moisture, making the place look almost like a naturally formed cave.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

The discovery was made at Lavernock Point, close to Cardiff and Penarth, where the cliffs of dark-coloured shales and limestones document ancient shallow seas.

From Science Daily ● May 30, 2024

This magma is thought to have expelled gases that flowed into limestones, chemically altering them.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 1, 2023

Next, I moved to Ridgewood, so deep into Bushwick that I was actually in Queens, where the old limestones on my block literally doubled in value over the course of four years.

From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2020

Carbon-rich rocks, such as limestones, are sucked inside Earth at plate margins.

From Nature ● Jun. 11, 2019

This limestone will make just as rich soil for the farmers of the future as the limestones of other ages have made for the famous Blue-Grass region of Kentucky, for example.

From The Adventures of a Grain of Dust by Hallam Hawksworth