Pebble vs. Stone — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 2, 2023
Pebbles are small, smooth rocks, often found on beaches or riverbeds, while stones are larger, varied in size, shape, and texture.
Difference Between Pebble and Stone
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A pebble is a small, often smooth rock polished by water or movement. A stone, however, can range from small to large and have varied textures.
Pebbles are typically found on beaches or in riverbeds, shaped by water. Stones are found in various environments and can be rough or smooth.
The size is a key difference; pebbles are small enough to fit in the hand. Stones can be too large to lift.
In landscaping, pebbles are used for aesthetic ground cover. Stones are used for structures or as decorative elements due to their size and strength.
Geologically, pebbles are a specific size class of rock fragments. Stones don’t have a defined size and encompass a broader range.
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Comparison Chart
Size
Small, fits in hand
Varies, can be large
Texture
Often smooth
Can be rough or smooth
Origin
Typically shaped by water
Found in various environments
Use
Ground cover, decorative
Structures, decoration
Definition
Specific size class of rock fragments
Broad range, no defined size
Compare with Definitions
Pebble
A geological term for small rock particles.
The streambed was covered with pebbles.
Stone
A piece of rock or mineral.
He lifted a heavy stone to clear the path.
Pebble
A tiny stone, often round or oval.
Pebbles lined the garden path.
Stone
A hard, solid substance found in the ground.
The ancient structure was made of stone.
Pebble
A small rock used for decoration or construction.
The pebble mosaic added charm to the patio.
Stone
A large rock, often used in construction.
Stone walls surrounded the old city.
Pebble
A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of 4–64 mm (0.16–2.52 in) based on the Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered larger than granules (2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) in diameter) and smaller than cobbles (64–256 mm (2.5–10.1 in) in diameter).
Stone
Hard solid non-metallic mineral matter of which rock is made, especially as a building material
The houses are built of stone
High stone walls
Pebble
A small stone, especially one worn smooth by erosion.
Stone
A piece of stone shaped for a purpose, especially one of commemoration, ceremony, or demarcation
A memorial stone
Boundary stones
Pebble
Clear colorless quartz; rock crystal.
Stone
A hard seed in a cherry, plum, peach, and some other fruits.
Pebble
A lens made of such quartz.
Stone
A unit of weight equal to 14 lb (6.35 kg)
I weighed 10 stone
Pebble
(Geology) A rock fragment between 4 and 64 millimeters (0.16 and 2.51 inches) in diameter, especially one that has been naturally rounded.
Stone
A natural shade of whitish or brownish-grey
Stone stretch trousers
Pebble
An irregularly rough, grainy surface, as on leather or paper.
Stone
Throw stones at
Two people were stoned to death
Policemen were stoned by the crowd
Pebble
To pave with pebbles.
Stone
Remove the stone from (a fruit).
Pebble
To impart an irregularly rough, grainy surface to (leather or paper).
Stone
Build, face, or pave with stone
The honey-stoned, eighteenth-century city
Pebble
To pelt with pebbles.
Stone
Concreted earthy or mineral matter; rock.
Pebble
A small stone, especially one rounded by the action of water.
Stone
Such concreted matter of a particular type. Often used in combination
Sandstone.
Soapstone.
Pebble
(geology) A particle from 4 to 64 mm in diameter, following the Wentworth scale.
Stone
A small piece of rock.
Pebble
(curling) A small droplet of water intentionally sprayed on the ice that cause irregularities on the surface.
Stone
A piece of rock that is used in construction
A coping stone.
A paving stone.
Pebble
Transparent and colourless rock crystal.
Brazilian pebble
Stone
A gravestone or tombstone.
Pebble
A form of slow-burning gunpowder in large cubical grains.
Stone
A grindstone, millstone, or whetstone.
Pebble
(transitive) To pave with pebbles.
Stone
A milestone or boundary.
Pebble
To deposit water droplets on the ice.
To pebble the ice between games
Stone
A gem or precious stone.
Pebble
(transitive) To give (leather) a rough appearance with small rounded prominences.
Stone
Something, such as a hailstone, resembling a stone in shape or hardness.
Pebble
To place a pebble at (a vertex of a graph) according to certain rules; see pebble game.
Stone
(Botany) The hard covering enclosing the seed in certain fruits, such as the cherry, plum, or peach.
Pebble
A small roundish piece of stone; especially, a stone worn and rounded by the action of water; a pebblestone.
As children gathering pebbles on the shore.
Stone
(Medicine) A mineral concretion in an organ, such as the kidney or gallbladder, or other body part; a calculus.
Pebble
Transparent and colorless rock crystal; as, Brazilian pebble; - so called by opticians.
Stone
Pl. stone Abbr. st. A unit of weight in Great Britain, 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms).
Pebble
To grain (leather) so as to produce a surface covered with small rounded prominences.
Stone
(Printing) A table with a smooth surface on which page forms are composed.
Pebble
A small smooth rounded rock
Stone
Relating to or made of stone
A stone wall.
Pebble
A small, smooth rock.
She collected colorful pebbles from the beach.
Stone
Made of stoneware or earthenware.
Pebble
A rock fragment polished by natural processes.
The pebble in his shoe was surprisingly smooth.
Stone
Complete; utter. Often used in combination
A stone liar.
Stone-deaf.
Stone
Completely; utterly
Stone cold.
Standing stone still.
Stone
To hurl or throw stones at, especially to kill with stones.
Stone
To remove the stones or pits from.
Stone
To furnish, fit, pave, or line with stones.
Stone
To rub on or with a stone in order to polish or sharpen.
Stone
(Sports) To block a shot taken by (an opponent). Used of a goalie.
Stone
(Obsolete) To make hard or indifferent.
Stone
(uncountable) A hard earthen substance that can form large rocks.
Stone
A small piece of stone, a pebble.
Stone
A gemstone, a jewel, especially a diamond.
Stone
(British) A unit of mass equal to 14 pounds (≈6.3503 kilograms), formerly used for various commodities (wool, cheese, etc.), but now principally used for personal weight.
Stone
(botany) The central part of some fruits, particularly drupes; consisting of the seed and a hard endocarp layer.
A peach stone
Stone
(medicine) A hard, stone-like deposit.
Stone
(board games) A playing piece made of any hard material, used in various board games such as backgammon and go.
Stone
A dull light grey or beige, like that of some stones.
Stone
(curling) A 42-pound, precisely shaped piece of granite with a handle attached, which is bowled down the ice.
Stone
A monument to the dead; a gravestone or tombstone.
Stone
(obsolete) A mirror, or its glass.
Stone
(obsolete) A testicle.
Stone
A stand or table with a smooth, flat top of stone, commonly marble, on which to arrange the pages of a book, newspaper, etc. before printing.
Stone
(transitive) To pelt with stones, especially to kill by pelting with stones.
She got stoned to death after they found her.
Stone
(transitive) To wall with stones.
Stone
(transitive) To remove a stone from (fruit etc.).
Stone
(intransitive) To form a stone during growth, with reference to fruit etc.
Stone
To intoxicate, especially with narcotics. Usually in passive
Stone
To do nothing, to stare blankly into space and not pay attention when relaxing or when bored.
Stone
(transitive) To lap with an abrasive stone to remove surface irregularities.
Stone
Constructed of stone.
Stone walls
Stone
Having the appearance of stone.
Stone pot
Stone
Of a dull light grey or beige, like that of some stones.
Stone
(AAVE) Used as an intensifier.
She is one stone fox.
Stone
(LGBT) Willing to give sexual pleasure but not to receive it.
Stone butch; stone femme
Pillow princess
Stone
As a stone used with following adjective.
My father is stone deaf. This soup is stone cold.
Stone
(slang) Absolutely, completely used with following adjectives.
I went stone crazy after she left.
I said the medication made my vision temporarily blurry, it did not make me stone blind.
Stone
Concreted earthy or mineral matter; also, any particular mass of such matter; as, a house built of stone; the boy threw a stone; pebbles are rounded stones.
They had brick for stone, and slime . . . for mortar.
Stone
A precious stone; a gem.
Stone
Something made of stone. Specifically: -
Stone
The glass of a mirror; a mirror.
Lend me a looking-glass;If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,Why, then she lives.
Stone
A calculous concretion, especially one in the kidneys or bladder; the disease arising from a calculus.
Stone
A monument to the dead; a gravestone.
Should some relenting eyeGlance on the where our cold relics lie.
Stone
One of the testes; a testicle.
Stone
The hard endocarp of drupes; as, the stone of a cherry or peach. See Illust. of Endocarp.
Stone
A weight which legally is fourteen pounds, but in practice varies with the article weighed.
Stone
Fig.: Symbol of hardness and insensibility; torpidness; insensibility; as, a heart of stone.
I have not yet forgot myself to stone.
Stone
A stand or table with a smooth, flat top of stone, commonly marble, on which to arrange the pages of a book, newspaper, etc., before printing; - called also imposing stone.
Stone
To pelt, beat, or kill with stones.
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Stone
To make like stone; to harden.
O perjured woman! thou dost stone my heart.
Stone
To free from stones; also, to remove the seeds of; as, to stone a field; to stone cherries; to stone raisins.
Stone
To wall or face with stones; to line or fortify with stones; as, to stone a well; to stone a cellar.
Stone
To rub, scour, or sharpen with a stone.
Stone
A lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter;
He threw a rock at me
Stone
Material consisting of the aggregate of minerals like those making up the Earth's crust;
That mountain is solid rock
Stone is abundant in New England and there are many quarries
Stone
Building material consisting of a piece of rock hewn in a definite shape for a special purpose;
He wanted a special stone to mark the site
Stone
A crystalline rock that can be cut and polished for jewelry;
He had the gem set in a ring for his wife
She had jewels made of all the rarest stones
Stone
The hard inner (usually woody) layer of the pericarp of some fruits (as peaches or plums or cherries or olives) that contains the seed;
You should remove the stones from prunes before cooking
Stone
An avoirdupois unit used to measure the weight of a human body; equal to 14 pounds;
A heavy chap who must have weighed more than twenty stone
Stone
United States filmmaker (born in 1946)
Stone
United States feminist and suffragist (1818-1893)
Stone
United States journalist who advocated liberal causes (1907-1989)
Stone
United States jurist who served on the United States Supreme Court as Chief Justice (1872-1946)
Stone
United States architect (1902-1978)
Stone
A lack of feeling or expression or movement;
He must have a heart of stone
Her face was as hard as stone
Stone
Kill by throwing stones at;
Adulterers should be stoned according to the Koran
Stone
Remove the pits from;
Pit plums and cherries
Stone
Of any of various dull tannish-gray colors
Stone
A naturally occurring solid aggregate.
She admired the variety of stones in the geology exhibit.
Stone
A piece of rock of various sizes and shapes.
The artist carved beautiful figures out of stone.
Common Curiosities
What is a stone?
A piece of rock, varying in size, shape, and texture.
Are all pebbles smooth?
Most are, due to water erosion, but some can be rough.
Are stones always hard?
Generally, but they can vary in hardness based on composition.
Where do pebbles commonly form?
Often in riverbeds, beaches, or near water sources.
Can stones be used in jewelry?
Yes, especially gemstones or polished stones.
Can pebbles be colorful?
Yes, they can vary in color based on mineral content.
What is a pebble?
A small, smooth rock, often found near water.
Can pebbles be man-made?
Yes, they can be artificially polished or shaped.
How are stones used in construction?
As building materials, in foundations, or for decorative purposes.
What causes the smoothness of pebbles?
Erosion from water or friction over time.
Can stones be porous?
Yes, some stones have pores or absorbent qualities.
Do stones have a specific size?
No, they can range from pebble-size to boulder-size.
How do pebbles affect landscaping?
They add aesthetic appeal and can help with drainage.
Are all pebbles natural?
While most are, some can be manufactured for specific uses.
Are stones only found outdoors?
Mostly, but they can also be used indoors for decor.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
