tombstone

noun

tomb·​stone ˈtüm-ˌstōn How to pronounce tombstone (audio)

Examples of tombstone in a Sentence

the historic cemetery's many tombstones marking the graves of children are telling reminders of the harshness of pioneer life
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tombstone has ten lines of inscriptions and identified the man laid to rest inside the tomb, according to the release. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025 Some of the surviving houses remained empty for seasons on end in the ’80s, their marquees serving as tombstones for the bombs that had fleetingly awakened them from their slumber. Frank Rich, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025 Entire blocks with nothing left but chimneys — tombstones for the houses that had stood there. Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025 In the kitchen, an appliance resembling a tombstone turned out to be a Showa toaster. Elif Batuman, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tombstone

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tombstone was in 1565

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Tombstone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tombstone. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

tombstone

noun
tomb·​stone ˈtüm-ˌstōn How to pronounce tombstone (audio)

Geographical Definition

Tombstone

geographical name

Tomb·​stone ˈtüm-ˌstōn How to pronounce Tombstone (audio)
city in the southeastern corner of Arizona population 1380

Note: Tombstone was site of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881.

More from Merriam-Webster on tombstone

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