Gravestone
/ˈɡreɪv.stoʊn/noun
A stone marker placed over or near a grave.
Did you know?The first element, grave, comes from Old French and Latin words for a burial place, while stone is the ancient Germanic word for a hard rock — a brutally literal name for a memorial of the dead.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
stān
“a stone, rock”
Old French
OF
grave
“a grave, burial place”
Latin
LA
grāvis
“heavy, serious”
Middle English
ME
grave ston
“a stone marking a burial place”
Modern English
EN
gravestone
“a stone marker for a grave”