1
obsolete
: sand
2
a
: loose rounded fragments of rock
b
: a stratum or deposit of gravel
also
: a surface covered with gravel
a gravel road
3
: small calculi in the kidneys and urinary bladder
: gravelly sense 2
—used of the human voice
Synonyms
Examples of gravel in a Sentence
Verb
managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples
Adjective
after his bout with laryngitis, he had a terribly gravel voice
Recent Examples on the Web
John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Nov. 2024
Overflow parking in the gravel lot (6431 Railroad Ave.).
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 20 Nov. 2024
Katie Linsky Shaw, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2024
Some 350 miles of trail weave through the area, varying from paved to gravel, and include notable elevation gain and loss otherwise hard to come by in Chicago.
—Outside Online, 11 June 2024
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 July 2024
My gravel bike is a Trek Checkpoint ALR 5, which weighs about 25 lb, so the extra 7 pounds on the Turbo Creo 2 Comp didn't seem like a big deal.
—Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for gravel 
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Noun
The Paganelli law firm is the same firm that successfully reversed the Noblesville Zoning Board of Appeals approval of a gravel pit operation.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Nov. 2024
Overflow parking in the gravel lot (6431 Railroad Ave.).
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
The road eventually turns to gravel before reaching the trailhead with parking along the road.
—Katie Linsky Shaw, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2024
Some 350 miles of trail weave through the area, varying from paved to gravel, and include notable elevation gain and loss otherwise hard to come by in Chicago.
—Outside Online, 11 June 2024
Adjective
Every Tuesday evening cyclists depart downtown at 5 P.M. and the pace ramps up to eye-popping speeds as the peloton spins along the paved and gravel roads outside town.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 July 2024
My gravel bike is a Trek Checkpoint ALR 5, which weighs about 25 lb, so the extra 7 pounds on the Turbo Creo 2 Comp didn't seem like a big deal.
—Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for gravel
Articles Related to gravel
Dictionary Entries Near gravel
Cite this Entry
“Gravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravel. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gravel
1 of 3 noun
grav·el
ˈgrav-əl 
: small pieces of rock and pebbles larger than grains of sand
gravel
2 of 3 adjectivegravel
3 of 3 verb
graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling
ˈgrav-(ə-)liŋ
: to cover or spread with gravel
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