Definition

Noun: 1. A piece or pebble of flint: Flintstone refers to a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, typically found as nodules in chalk or limestone. It is characterized by its conchoidal fracture, which allows it to be shaped into sharp tools. 2. Pebbles of flint used in masonry construction: Specifically, flintstones are rounded pebbles of flint traditionally used as a durable building material, often set in mortar.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The archaeologist found a sharp flintstone that had been crafted into an arrowhead.
  • The old cottage had walls made of flintstone and brick.
  • He skipped a smooth flintstone across the surface of the lake.

Advanced Usage

• "Flintstone construction": A traditional building technique, especially in areas like southeastern England, where flint nodules or pebbles are used as the primary wall material.
  • The church is a fine example of medieval flintstone construction.

Variants and Related Words

• Flint (n): The more general term for the hard, dark gray or black mineral. "Flintstone" often implies a discrete, usable piece of this material.
• Chert (n): A closely related, similar sedimentary rock. The terms flint and chert are sometimes used interchangeably, though flint is a specific variety of chert.
• Flinty (adj): Resembling flint; very hard, stern, or unyielding in character.
  • She had a flinty determination.

Synonyms

• Chert (for the mineral type)
• Pebble (when referring to the rounded stone form)
• Nodule (referring to its common shape in chalk deposits)

Notes on Different Meanings

• Proper Noun (Trademark): "The Flintstones" is the title of a famous animated television series about a prehistoric family. This is a distinct, capitalized proper noun and not the meaning of the common noun "flintstone."

Noun

1. pebbles of flint used in masonry construction