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free·stone

(frēstōn′)

1. A stone, such as limestone, that is soft enough to be cut easily without shattering or splitting.

2. A fruit, especially a peach, that has a stone that does not adhere to the flesh.

[Middle English freston, translation of Old French franche pere, high-grade stone : franche, high-grade, feminine of franc, noble, freeborn + pere, stone.]

freestone′ adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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