Meanings
nounquernstone (plural quernstones)
plural quernstones · alternative quern-stone
- Either of a pair of stones used for grinding material by hand.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*kwernōstainaz
- Old Englishcweornstān
- Middle Englishquerneston
- Englishquernstone
From quern + stone. From Middle English querneston, whernston, from Old English cweornstān, from Proto-Germanic *kwernōstainaz. Cognate with Old High German quirnstein and Old Norse kvernsteinn.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
quernstone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quernstone
MLA
“quernstone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quernstone. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quernstone,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quernstone.
Source: quernstone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.