Gravelly
/ˈɡrævəli/noun
Having the texture, sound, or appearance of gravel; rough and gritty.
Did you know?‘Gravelly’ comes from Old English *græf* / *graf* meaning a grave or trench, because gravel was associated with the dug-up, broken earth of burial and excavation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ghrebh-
“to dig, scratch, or grub up”
Old English
OE
græf
“a grave, trench, or dug-out pit”
Old English
OE
græflig
“gravelly; rough, full of small stones”
Middle English
ME
gravelly
“covered with gravel; harsh or rough in sound or texture”
Modern English
English
gravelly
“having the coarse texture of gravel or a rough, husky quality”