sandstone

American  

[sand-stohn] / ˈsændˌstoʊn /

noun

1. a common sedimentary rock consisting of sand, usually quartz, cemented together by various substances, as silica, calcium carbonate, iron oxide, or clay.

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sandstone British  

/ ˈsændˌstəʊn /

noun

1. any of a group of common sedimentary rocks consisting of sand grains consolidated with such materials as quartz, haematite, and clay minerals: used widely in building

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sandstone Scientific  

/ sănd′stōn′ /

1. A medium-grained sedimentary rock consisting of fine to coarse sand-sized grains that have been either compacted or cemented together by a material such as silica, iron oxide, or calcium carbonate. Although sandstone usually consists primarily of quartz, it can also consist of other minerals, and it can vary in color from yellow or red to gray or brown.

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sandstone Cultural  

1. A sedimentary rock formed of sand-sized grains that have been either compacted or cemented together. Although sandstone usually consists primarily of quartz, it can also consist of other minerals.

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Etymology

Origin of sandstone

First recorded in 1660–70; sand + stone

Example Sentences

A rash of glass and steel towers surround 19th Century sandstone buildings left from when a hospital occupied the city centre site.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Not far from the education center is a short hike to Painted Rock, a protected site that includes Native pictographs on a horseshoe-shaped sandstone formation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Unlike most Ediacaran fossil sites, which preserve organisms as simple impressions in sandstone, the Jiangchuan Biota fossils are preserved as carbonaceous films.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

The objects, to form part of the collection at the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, include "monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects", said a culture ministry statement.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

He circled a large block of some dark green stone, upon which two men knelt facing each other, scrubbing the surface with a block of sandstone.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw