gravel

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A gravel road

Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French gravele, diminutive. of grave (“‘sand", "seashore’”)

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
gravel

Plural
countable and uncountable; plural gravels

gravel (countable and uncountable; plural gravels)

  1. (uncountable) Small fragments of rock, used for laying on the beds of roads and railroads, and as ballast.
  2. A type or grade of small rocks, differentiated by mineral type, size range, or other characteristics.

[edit] Translations

small fragments of rock
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[edit] See also

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to gravel

Third person singular
gravels

Simple past
gravelled

Past participle
gravelled

Present participle
gravelling

to gravel (third-person singular simple present gravels, present participle gravelling, simple past and past participle gravelled)

  1. (transitive) To apply a layer of gravel to the surface of a road, etc.
    • 1905, John F. Hume, The Abolitionists[1]:
      We kept quietly on our way until we reached a place in the road that had been freshly graveled, and where the surface was covered with stones just suited to our use.
    • 2006 May 5, Harold Henderson, “Snips”, Chicago Reader:
      The soldiers admitted that while they had the money to lay gravel on a particular road, they lacked the funds to pave it, even though all agreed that graveled roads offered easy concealment for IEDs.
  2. To puzzle or annoy
    • 1894, Anthony Hope, Dolly Dialogues[2]:
      "The fracture is your making; the pin--" Here Miss Dolly interrupted; to tell the truth I was not sorry, for I was fairly graveled for the meaning of the pin.
    • 1919, Christopher Darlington Morley, Mince Pie[3]:
      'Oh, yes,' says Jan. Pond was graveled; didn't know just what to do.
    • 1922, Herbert Quick, Vandemark's Folly[4]:
      It graveled me like sixty to pay such a price, but I had to do it because the season was just between hay and grass.

[edit] Usage notes

[edit] Translations

To apply a layer of gravel to the surface of a road, etc
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