Gravestone Meaning
/ˈɡɹeɪvstoʊn/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA stone slab set at the head of a grave.
Sentence Examples
I can't believe you would defile a gravestone!
They put a gravestone at the head of the grave overlooking the harbour.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old cemetery had a marble ____ with the name 'Smith' engraved on it.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The historian spent the afternoon reading the names and dates carved into each old ____ in the cemetery.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English graveston, gravestone, gravestan, equivalent to grave + stone.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The value of gravestone inscriptions for ancestral research has long been recognised. The discovery of a single gravestone may provide more information on the history of a family than could be gleaned from […]"
— 2005, William J. Roulston, Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600-1800, Ulster Historical Foundation, →ISBN, page 41:
"How the gravestone got inside the home in Okemos, Michigan, outside Lansing? Now that’s a mystery, according to Friends of Lansing’s Historic Cemeteries (FOLHC) President Loretta S. Stanaway."
— 2021 September 24, Lauren M. Johnson and Christina Zdanowicz, “A gravestone missing for almost 150 years was being used as a marble slab to make fudge”, in CNN:
"On a cold, wet March day, about 20 river cruise passengers, many from the United States, follow their Dutch tour guide through rows of rain-soaked gravestones at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial."
— 2024 September 12, Blane Bachelor, “A culture of commemoration is still thriving in this Dutch town 80 years after its liberation”, in CNN:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old cemetery had a marble ____ with the name 'Smith' engraved on it.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The historian spent the afternoon reading the names and dates carved into each old ____ in the cemetery.