millstone

Meaning

1. A large round stone used for grinding grain.
2. A coarse-grained sandstone used for making such stones; millstone grit.
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, figuratively) Ellipsis of millstone round one's neck, a heavy responsibility that is difficult to bear (referring to Matthew 18:6 in the Bible).

Synonyms

grindstone

grinding stone

load

metate

quernstone

albatross

hone

impediment

mill

roller

runner

🏃

sharpening stone

stone

🪨

stone mortar

buhrstone

burrstone

responsibility

rotten-stone

rubberstone

millstone grit

rub stone

baggage

ballast

burden

difficulty

grinder

Translations

mola

Mühlstein

meule

macina

muela

mó

molensteen

mola

piedra de molino

μυλόπετρα

engel

yük

escollo

rémora

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɪlstəʊn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: mylneston

Inherited from Old English: mylenstān

Cognate with Danish: møllesten

Cognate with Middle Dutch: molensteen

Cognate with Dutch: molensteen

Cognate with Western Frisian: molestien

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: møllestein

Cognate with Old Saxon: mulinstēn

Cognate with Middle Low German: mȫlenstēn

Cognate with Old High German: mulinstein

Cognate with Middle High German: mülstein

Cognate with German: Mühlstein

In summary

From Middle English mylneston, milneston, from Old English mylenstān (“millstone”), from Proto-West Germanic *mulīnu + *stain; equivalent to mill + stone; cognate with Danish møllesten, Middle Dutch molensteen (modern Dutch molensteen), West Frisian molestien, Norwegian Bokmål møllestein, Old Saxon mulinstēn (Middle Low German mȫlenstēn), Old High German mulinstein, mülstein (Middle High German mülstein, modern German Mühlstein).