freestone

American  

[free-stohn] / ˈfriˌstoʊn /

noun

1. a fruit having a stone to which the flesh does not cling, as certain peaches and plums.

2. the stone itself.

3. any stone, as sandstone, that can be freely worked or quarried, especially one that cuts well in all directions without splitting.

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adjective

1. having a stone from which the flesh is easily separated.

freestone British  

/ ˈfriːˌstəʊn /

noun

1. 1. any fine-grained stone, esp sandstone or limestone, that can be cut and worked in any direction without breaking

   2. ( as modifier )

      a freestone house

2. botany

   1. a fruit, such as a peach, in which the flesh separates readily from the stone

   2. ( as modifier ) Compare clingstone

      a freestone peach

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Etymology

Origin of freestone

1250–1300; Middle English freston ( free, stone ); translation of Old French franche piere; frank ¹

Example Sentences

Most places label peaches white or yellow, sometimes specifying whether the peaches are freestone or clingstone.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 4, 2024

One of two overarching classifications, freestone peaches are the most widely available.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2021

Roughly 25 acres are devoted to freestone peaches, so it’s a picker’s paradise.

From Washington Post • Aug. 6, 2021

Among them is the Red Haven, a midseason selection popular with farmers because it is a freestone peach, one with a pit that does not stick to the surrounding flesh.

From New York Times • Jul. 18, 2014

It was a round watch-tower, built of freestone, with loopholes in the wall, and a sentry-walk above, between the rampart-like battlements.

From King Eric and the Outlaws, Vol. 2 or, the Throne, the Church, and the People in the Thirteenth Century. Vol. I. by Ingemann, Bernhard Severin