Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
hearthstone

hearthstone

1 7.9
A flat stone that forms the floor of a fireplace and the area in front
  • noun
  • /ˈhɑrθˌstoʊn/
translation icon : piedra de chimenea
  • He left the fire laid on the hearthstone unlit and threw open both windows.

Examples

  • "One eye opened again, and looked consideringly at me, then at the hearthstone on the far side of the room."

    Fiction book (1992)

  • "Seems like the lamp's gone out," he told Leetha one night as he knotted himself together on the hearthstone.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • She set me down on the hearthstone.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • She simply shed the poncho and went to sit on the hearthstone, holding out cold hands to the lowering flames.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • She rarely made unnecessary movements; the heel of her boot ticked uneasy questions against the hearthstones.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The children played together on the hearthstone in front of the cozy fireplace.

  • Please be careful not to spill anything on the hearthstone, as it can be difficult to clean.

  • The old hearthstone showed signs of wear from years of use in the family home.

Synonyms

hearth
vshearthstone
21 5.5

The floor area in front of a fireplace where you build a fire

is specifically the flat stone forming that floor or front area

Surface Forms

hearthstone singular
hearthstones plural

Morphology

hearthstone = hearth + stone (semi-transparent) = hearth + stone

While the components 'hearth' and 'stone' are clear, the specific meaning as a single object forming the floor of a fireplace is a specialized usage.

Etymology

Hearthstone joins hearth ('fireplace' or 'home warmth') and stone, so it simply means the flat stone that makes the floor or area in front of a fire. That's why a hearthstone is the stone you sweep, warm yourself by, or use as the centre of an old home.