Dibstones

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small pebbles or knucklebones tossed and caught by children when playing the traditional game of dibs
2. The little stones that players throw, pick up and catch during a traditional children's jacks-style game
3. Small smooth stones used as pieces in the old children's game known as dibs or jacks

Etymology: "Dibstones" is simply the plural of "dibstone," and the singular names a small pebble used in the children's game of dibs, a game played by tossing and catching stones or small objects. The plural form follows the ordinary English pattern of adding "-s" to a noun, so the word's history lies in its base, "dibstone," which combines "dib," a term for the game and its stakes, with "stone," the familiar Old English word for a small rock.