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
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2024
Around 2017, its previous owner tore up the grass, paved it over with gravel, and parked semitrailers on the site.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gravel 
Noun
Five shell fragments from European pond turtles were uncovered from a gravel pit near Magdeburg, located about 100 miles southwest of Berlin, according to an April 25 news release from the state government’s monument conservation office.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2024
Around 2017, its previous owner tore up the grass, paved it over with gravel, and parked semitrailers on the site.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gravel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gravel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravel. Accessed 3 May. 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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