pebble Definition
peb·ble (peb′əl)
noun
- a small stone worn smooth and round, as by the action of water
- Geol. such a stone, smaller than a cobblestone, with a maximum diameter of 64 mm (c. 2.5 in)
- clear, transparent quartz or a lens made from it
- a surface grain of pebbly appearance, artificially produced on leather (pebble leather), paper, etc.
Etymology: ME pobble < OE papol-(stan), popol-(stan), pebble (stone), prob. of echoic orig.
transitive verb -·bled, -·bling
- to cover with pebbles or objects that look like pebbles
- to stamp (leather) so as to produce a pebbly appearance
pebble Synonyms
pebble Usage Examples
Converse of object
- skim: Relax with an ice cream and enjoy Kent's coast or simply skim pebbles in the sea.
- toss: To judge from Said's disdain for most criticisms of Orientalism, he would have summarily tossed such pebbles from his elegant shoe.
- throw: They were throwing pebbles on the beach, then started throwing them at him, then bigger stones, then rocks.
- dash: At this point we were very wet, with Kate pebble dashed by the ash track bed.
Adjective modifier
- rounded: In the adit walls can be seen rounded pebbles, these are the remains of a raised beach.
- polished: The central circular feature is floral and includes polished pebbles and gemstones.
- smooth: A sunken bed has been filled with large, smooth pebbles.
- occasional: Fill of grave comprised brown silty clay with very occasional small flint pebbles.
- decorative: The exterior patios have been lovingly paved with decorative pebbles and the covering verandah supported by solid old brick pillars with wooden beamed roofing.
Modifies a noun
- beach: On pebble beaches where the fierce action of the waves creates a desert where hardly any life is present, the anemone is absent.
- mosaic: These pebble mosaics could be found all around the Greek world from the 6th to 4th century BC.
- dash: Pebble dash on ground floor with tile hung upper story.
- cove: Swanpool Beach A small east facing sand and pebble cove.
- ridge: Beach Two miles of golden sand backed by a unique pebble ridge.
- fountain: Consider a raised pond or safe low maintenance water feature such as a pebble fountain.
Noun used with modifier
- quartzite: A layer of white quartzite pebbles covered some graves.
- quartz: White quartz pebbles were found on or near the bottom of all the ditch segments.
- flint: The enclosure ditch was found to have been cut through a shallow flint pebble layer which overlay coombe rock.
- clay: As clay pebbles don't hold lots of water, they also provide the root zone with plenty of oxygen.
- limestone: Limestone pebbles are also found, with facial features scratched or carved into them.
Browse dictionary entries near pebble
- ‹ peavey
- ‹ peau de soie
- ‹ peat moss
- ‹ peat
- ‹ peashooter
- ‹ peasecod
- ‹ pease
- ‹ Peasants' Revolt
- ‹ peasantry
- ‹ peasant
- pebble dash ›
- pebbly ›
- pecan ›
- peccable ›
- peccadillo ›
- peccancy ›
- peccant ›
- peccary ›
- peccavi ›
- Pechora ›

