holystone

American  

[hoh-lee-stohn] / ˈhoʊ liˌstoʊn /

noun

1. a block of soft sandstone used in scrubbing the decks of a ship.

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verb (used with object)

holystoned, holystoning

1. to scrub with a holystone.

holystone British  

/ ˈhəʊlɪˌstəʊn /

noun

1. a soft sandstone used for scrubbing the decks of a vessel

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verb

1. (tr) to scrub (a vessel's decks) with a holystone

Etymology

Origin of holystone

1815–25; holy + stone; perhaps originally jocular or profane

Example Sentences

But last week the holystone passed out of U. S. Naval tradition.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the U. S. Navy the holystone has been used since the Government first built ships.

From Time Magazine Archive

She plans to spend the coming winter�as if in an attempt to holystone an overstuffed literary position�verse-pamphleteering about current events.

From Time Magazine Archive

Nevertheless, there were always corners where the holystone had to be applied by hand.

From Time Magazine Archive

Smaller hand-stones, which the sailors call "prayer-books," are used to scrub in among the crevices and narrow places, where the large holystone will not go.

From Two Years Before the Mast by Dana, Richard Henry