gravel
pronunciation
How to pronounce gravel in British English:
UK [ˈgrævl]
How to pronounce gravel in American English:
US [ˈɡrævəl]
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- Noun:
- rock fragments and pebbles
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- Verb:
- cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
- cover with gravel
- be a mystery or bewildering to
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- Adjective:
- unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
Word Origin
- gravel
- gravel: [13] Gravel is of Celtic origin. It has been traced to a prehistoric Celtic *gravo- ‘gravel’, never actually recorded but deduced from Breton grouan and Cornish grow ‘soft granite’. French borrowed it as grave ‘gravel, pebbles’ (perhaps the source of the English verb grave ‘clean a ship’s bottom’ [15], now encountered virtually only in graving dock, from the notion of ships being hauled up on to the pebbles of the seashore for cleaning). The Old French diminutive of grave was gravelle – whence English gravel.
- gravel (n.)
- "stone in small, irregular fragments," early 13c., from Old French gravele "sand, gravel; sea-shore; sandy bed of a river," diminutive of grave "sand, seashore" (Modern French grève), possibly from Celtic *graw- (compare Welsh gro "coarse gravel," Breton grouan, Cornish grow "gravel"), perhaps ultimately from PIE *ghreu- "to rub, grind" (see grit (n.)). Gravel-crusher was World War I slang for "infantryman."
Example
- 1. The gravel was used to bring a slightly over-excavated floor back to grade .
- 2. Don 't mind the gravel digging into your cheek .
- 3. Ruth heard gravel rolling around where judy was climbing .
- 4. Clumps of nectar flowers can be separated from tick habitat by gravel or mulch paths or strips of lawn to reduce its potential for harboring ticks .
- 5. Notice that the ground immediately around that pebble has less dust visible ( more gravel exposed ) than in other parts of the image .