limestone
Meaning
a type of white or grey stone containing calcium, used in building and in making cement.
Structure
Usage
the cliffs along the coast are made of ancient limestone.
limestone is a key ingredient in the manufacture of portland cement.
the region is known for its caves, formed by water dissolving the soft limestone.
Etymology
the word 'limestone' is a transparent compound from old english roots. 'lime' in this context derives from the old english 'līm', meaning a sticky substance, which evolved to specifically denote calcium oxide obtained from burning limestone. 'stone' comes from the old english 'stān', meaning rock or mineral matter. the compound directly describes the rock from which lime is produced. its formation follows a common germanic pattern of creating concrete, descriptive nouns for natural materials by combining two elemental words.
Analysis
lime (old english, referring to a sticky substance or birdlime, later for the calcium oxide) + stone (old english, meaning rock or mineral material).