tombstone

[ toom-stohn ]

noun

1. a stone marker, usually inscribed, on a tomb or grave.

Tombstone

¹

/ ˈtuːmˌstəʊn /

noun

1. a town in the US, in Arizona: scene of the gunfight at the OK Corral in 1881. Pop: 1547 (2003 est)

tombstone

²

/ ˈtuːmˌstəʊn /

noun

1. another word for gravestone

Word History and Origins

Origin of tombstone¹

First recorded in 1555–65; tomb + stone

Example Sentences

Over the last year, Los Angeles has seen a surge of thefts of copper, brass and other metals from street lights, tombstones, fire hydrants and transit rail lines, among other places.

From Los Angeles Times

In a Muslim graveyard in Delhi, a tombstone stands out.

From BBC

In Section 60, young widows can be seen using clippers and scissors to groom the grass around their husbands’ tombstones as lots of children run about.

From Salon

Before a field dotted with the small, white tombstones of the dead US servicemembers, the president warned "the autocrats of the world are watching closely to see what happens in Ukraine".

From BBC

Now Guerrero was prone alongside her brother, scrubbing his tombstone and the graves of his “neighbors” with a toothbrush.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gravestone
• marker
• memorial
• monument