Gravel Has a Precise Size in Geology
Gravel is loose rounded stone. Geologists define it by particle size, not by appearance.
Gravel is a loose aggregate of rock fragments. Geology defines it by measurement rather than look: gravel is material between two and sixty-four millimetres across, sitting between sand below and cobbles above. Below sand comes silt, and below that clay — a scale used worldwide to classify sediments.
- Loose stones. *A gravel drive.*
- To cover with gravel. *Gravel the path.*
- Gravelly — harsh in sound. *A gravelly voice.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | gravel | Loose gravel. |
| Verb | gravel | Gravel the yard. |
| Adjective | gravelly | A gravelly voice. |
| Related | grit | Road grit. |
| Related | shingle | A shingle beach. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The drive is laid with gravel.Construction.
- He has a gravelly voice.Rough-textured.
- Shingle is gravel on a beach.British usage.
Sediment sizes
- Clay — smaller than about 0.004 mm
- Silt — up to about 0.063 mm
- Sand — up to 2 mm
- Gravel — 2 to 64 mm
- Cobbles and boulders — larger still
From Old French *gravele*, a diminutive of *grave*, sand or gravel, probably from a Celtic root.
Gravel or shingle?
Shingle is the British word for gravel on a beach, usually of larger and more rounded stones.
How is gravel defined?
By particle size: between two and sixty-four millimetres, sitting between sand and cobbles on the standard scale.