Hearthstones

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A flat stone used as a floor or base for a fireplace or fire area; a center of warmth and gathering within a home; a symbol of domesticity and stability in traditional settings
2. A solid piece of rock providing a surface beneath a fireplace or cooking fire; a gathering place for family and friends around warmth; an emblem of comfort and home life
3. A stone serving as the foundation for a fire or stove; a communal area that brings people together in warmth; a representation of home and familial bonds

Etymology: "Hearthstones" is simply the plural of "hearthstone," a compound of "hearth" and "stone." The first part descends from Old English "heorth," meaning the floor of a fireplace, the spot where the fire was kindled and kept. The second is the ordinary word "stone," so the whole compound describes a stone that forms or sits in that hearth. Because the word is a transparent compound, its meaning follows directly from its parts: a hearthstone is literally a stone of the hearth. Its plural simply refers to the several such slabs that make up a fireplace floor.

Synonyms: fireplace stones, hearth, fireplace, hearthstone, firepit stones