Hard, solid mineral matter; rocks. Small pieces of rock, especially those used in construction or as projectiles.
From Old English 'stan,' related to Old Norse 'steinn' and German 'Stein.' All derive from Proto-Germanic 'stainaz,' ultimately from Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to stiffen or solidify.'
Stone is so fundamental to human civilization that we name entire ages after it! The word appears in countless idioms because stones represent permanence - 'set in stone,' 'stone-cold,' 'heart of stone' - showing how central this material is to our conceptual thinking.
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