eagle-stone

A form of eaglestone — A concretionary nodule of iron oxide with a loose kernel inside such that it makes a rattling noise, formerly used for magical or medicinal purposes.

Meanings

nouneagle-stone (plural eagle-stones)

plural eagle-stones

  1. alternativeAlternative form of eaglestone.

    The eagle-stone was another lusus naturae as to its supposed virtue and origin, being only found in the nests of eagles which could not breed without their aid.

    1880, William Jones, History and mystery of precious stones, page 20
    2 more examples

    THIS is the aetites, or eagle-stone, of which there is a great variety, and to which many virtues were ascribed by the ancients. When I shewed a picture of the eagle-stone to a bramhǔn who was sitting with me, without informing him what it was, he exclaimed—'This is the Shalgramǔ!' and added, (jocularly) — 'Oh! then, Englishmen will be saved, as they have the shalgramǔ amongst them.'

    1815, William Ward, A View of the History, Literature, and Religion of the Hindoos

    The victor carried the eagle-stone to the shore of Solway, and placed it on the summit of his castle: on the third morning, the eagle was seen perched upon it, and there it continued to live for several centuries, till one of the lords rebelled against his king, and burned the abbey of Dundrenan; the eagle then disappeared, and was seen no more.

    1826, Allan Cunningham, Paul Jones, page 89
Cite this entry
APA

eagle-stone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eagle-stone

MLA

“eagle-stone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eagle-stone. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eagle-stone,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eagle-stone.

Source: eagle-stone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.