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
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
Michael Harley, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Fence posts that only poke out of the ground four feet or less often don’t need gravel placed around the posts.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2025
Matt Fuchs, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Residents are encouraged to use sand or gravel on slippery surfaces and monitor weather updates closely.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
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
Rubber all-weather floor mats are standard, and the cargo area features an easy-to-clean rubber cargo tray and an LED light—mud, snow, gravel, and pet hair aren’t an issue.
—Michael Harley, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Fence posts that only poke out of the ground four feet or less often don’t need gravel placed around the posts.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
Progress from hardwood to carpet to grass to gravel to various devices like wobble boards and foam pads available online.
—Matt Fuchs, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Residents are encouraged to use sand or gravel on slippery surfaces and monitor weather updates closely.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Gravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravel. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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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