Cobblestone
/ˈkɒb.əl.stəʊn/noun
A rounded stone used for paving streets and roads.
Did you know?The “cobble” in cobblestone is probably tied to a word for a rounded lump or pebble, and the word’s history is tangled with old terms for stones that were literally shaped by wear and time.
Etymological Timeline
Old English / Early Middle Ages
Germanic
*cob- / *cobba-
“A rounded lump, mass, or pebble-like form (reconstructed ancestor, not directly attested).”
Middle English
English
cobble
“A rounded stone or pebble; later, a rough stone used for paving.”
Middle English
English
stone
“A hard natural mineral mass; a rock.”
15th–16th Century
English
cobblestone
“A rounded paving stone, especially one used in streets and roads.”
Modern English
English
cobblestone
“A small rounded stone used for paving, or a street paved with such stones.”
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