Whitestone

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A fine-grained stone, typically light-colored, used to sharpen the edges of tools and blades
2. A smooth, light stone employed for honing or refining the sharpness of metal implements
3. A pale stone used to whet and maintain the keen edge of cutting tools and instruments

Etymology: "Whitestone" is a plain compound of "white" and "stone," with no hidden twist in its construction. "White" comes from Old English "hwīt," and "stone" from Old English "stān," so both halves are native English words that have been part of the language for over a thousand years. Joining them gives a literal description: a stone that is white in colour. The word is most often used for a pale, light-coloured building stone, or for the rock itself, and the compound follows the same pattern as many other English descriptive names built from a colour and a material. Because the meaning is transparent from its parts, it needs little further explanation.

Synonyms: whetstone