HOLYSTONE

holystone

(noun) a soft sandstone used for scrubbing the decks of a ship

holystone

(verb) scrub with a holystone; “holystone the ship’s deck”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

holystone (plural holystones)

(nautical) A piece of soft sandstone used for scouring the wooden decks of ships, usually with sand and seawater. [1823]

A stone with a naturally-formed hole, used by Yorkshiremen for good luck. [1825]

Synonyms

• (sandstone used to scour ships' decks): bible

• (holed rock used as an amulet): lucky stone

Hyponyms

• prayer book (small)

Verb

holystone (third-person singular simple present holystones, present participle holystoning, simple past and past participle holystoned)

(transitive) To use a holystone. [1827]

Source: Wiktionary


Ho"ly*stone`, n. (Naut.)

Definition: A stone used by seamen for scrubbing the decks of ships. Totten.

Ho"ly*stone`, v. t. (Naut.)

Definition: To scrub with a holystone, as the deck of a vessel.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 May 2025

CRITICAL

(adjective) characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; “a critical reading”; “a critical dissertation”; “a critical analysis of Melville’s writings”


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