living stone

noun

plural living stones

: any of a genus (Lithops of the family Aizoaceae) of very small, stemless, succulent plants of southern Africa that typically have a pair of thickened leaves forming a stonelike body with a slit on top from which a usually solitary, sessile flower emerges : lithops

Living stones, named for their rocky appearance, bury the bulk of their leaves underground, taking a dive for shade.—

Mary Hoff

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of living stone was in 1930

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Living stone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/living%20stone. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Copy Citation

Geographical Definition

Livingstone

geographical name

Liv·ing·stone ˈli-viŋ-stən

city on the Zambezi River in southern Zambia population 134,000

Biographical Definition

Livingstone

biographical name

Liv·ing·stone ˈli-viŋ-stən

David 1813–1873 Scottish missionary and explorer in Africa

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

underwhelm

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!