ayr stone

[ air ]

noun

1. a fine-grained stone used for polishing marble and as a whetstone.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ayr stone¹

First recorded in 1855–60; named after Ayr

Example Sentences

Much assistance to this method may be rendered by taking a piece of Water of Ayr stone, and truing its surfaces by rubbing them on the plates after the fine filing and before the emery papering.

From Project Gutenberg

Among hones of less importance in general use may be noted the Charley Forest stone—or Whittle Hill honestone—a good substitute for Turkey oilstone; Water of Ayr stone, Scotch stone, or snake stone, a pale grey carboniferous shale hardened by igneous action, used for tools and for polishing marble and copper-plates; Idwal or Welsh oilstone, used for small articles; and cutlers’ greenstone from Snowdon, very hard and close in texture, used for giving the last edge to lancets.

From Project Gutenberg