firestone en · NOUN
Etymology
From Middle English firestone, firstan, fyrestane, fyyr stone, from Old English fȳrstān, equivalent to fire + stone.
Meanings
- (countable, uncountable) Iron pyrite, formerly used for striking fire.
- (countable, uncountable) A flint.
-
(countable, uncountable) A heat-resistant stone that will withstand intense heat of a furnace, used for lining kilns, campfire rings, fireplaces and furnaces; especially, the sandstone at the top of the upper greensand in the south of England.
On the descent the line is often in cuttings; some are high, such as at Scarcroft, where a cut through firestone and fireclay was necessary, and near Bardsey, where the line threads a deep tree-lined gorge.
1961 February, D. Bertram, “The lines to Wetherby and their traffic”, in Trains Illustrated, page 101:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| fire-stone | alternative | lexicographic | |
| firestones | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| fire stone | alternative | lexicographic |
Translations (3)
es piedra pírica (Translations) · es piedra vulcania (Translations) · es piedra ígnea (Translations)