headstone

noun

head·​stone ˈhed-ˌstōn How to pronounce headstone (audio)
: a memorial stone at the head of a grave

Examples of headstone in a Sentence

many of the headstones were for children who had died during the influenza epidemic
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.
In the military section of the cemetery, Ukrainian flags flew over every headstone. Kim Barker, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 Inside, several headstones commemorate the lives of some of the early settlers of the region. Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 12 Feb. 2025 Perry notes that historians and archaeologists have found that enslaved people in the upper South were not given headstones, but instead their graves were adorned with blue periwinkle flowers. Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Jan. 2025 The former model wore black knee-high Christian Louboutin boots to the rainy event at the 639-acre cemetery, which has more than 400,000 headstones. Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 19 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for headstone

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of headstone was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Headstone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headstone. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

headstone

noun
head·​stone -ˌstōn How to pronounce headstone (audio)
: a memorial stone placed at the head of a grave

More from Merriam-Webster on headstone

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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