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Glite Dictionary
hornstone

hornstone

9.9
A hard rock with small grains like flint that people used to make tools
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : hornstone
  • Archaeologists uncovered tools made from hornstone, indicating advanced craftsmanship in early civilizations.

Examples

  • The roof timbers were driftwood topped with hornstone shingles.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Kirkilgowock's silvery hornstone roofs shimmered two miles away across the Bay of Repose.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The ancient ruins were built with durable hornstone, showcasing its strong properties against the elements.

  • The local quarry produces hornstone, which is highly sought after for its use in construction and decoration.

Synonyms

metamorphic rock
vshornstone
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A rock changed by heat and pressure inside the earth

is a specific fine-grained hard type formed from heated clay
hornfels
vshornstone
  • Specialized
9.9

A hard, dense rock made when clay-rich rock is baked by hot underground rock

is formed by heat on clay more generally, not only from intrusions

How Hard

flint
30 6.1
chert
  • Specialized
1 9.9
hornstone
  • Specialized
9.9
slate
61 5.7
shale
  • Specialized
57 5.7
clay
171 1.0

Surface Forms

hornstone singular
hornstones plural

Morphology

hornstone = horn + stone (semi-transparent) = horn + stone

The components 'horn' and 'stone' are clear, but the specific technical sense (a particular metamorphic rock) is specialized and not directly inferable by an average learner.

Etymology

Hornstone comes from the simple English parts horn ('animal horn') and stone ('rock'), because this hard, glassy rock can look like or be as tough as a horn. So, hornstone means a very hard, flint-like rock that people often used to make tools.