Adderstones

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of stone believed to have magical or healing properties, often used in folk traditions or practices
2. Stones associated with luck or protection in folklore, sometimes linked to fertility or wellness rituals
3. Natural stones thought to hold special significance, often utilized in various cultural or spiritual contexts

Etymology: Adderstones is simply the plural of "adderstone", so the real story sits in the singular. An adderstone is a traditional name for a stone, often a holed or ringed pebble, that people believed had protective or healing powers, especially against snakebite and other ailments. The word "adder" here is the common English name for the viper, and the "stone" element is the plain English noun, so the compound describes a stone associated with adders. The compound itself is transparent: it joins the snake name with "stone" in the ordinary way English builds names for folk objects. Its use in folk tradition is what gives it its meaning, rather than any special linguistic history, and the sense of a charm-stone with healing properties is recorded in English folklore accounts.