Meaning & use
gravel
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Meanings
noununcountable
Small, loose pieces of rock, often used to cover paths or roads.
Grammar: Uncountable; you can say 'a pile of gravel' but not 'a gravel'.
Patterns
- a layer of gravel
- cover something with gravel
The driveway was covered with gray gravel.
They spread gravel on the garden path to keep the weeds down.
The sound of tires on gravel made him look up.
verbtransitive
To cover a surface with gravel.
Grammar: Takes an object: gravel the path.
Patterns
- gravel something
- gravel a road
The workers graveled the road before the rainy season.
They decided to gravel the parking area to keep it mud-free.
Word forms
| third person singular | gravels |
|---|---|
| past tense | graveled |
| past participle | graveled |
| -ing form | graveling |
| plural | gravels |
Common combinations
- gravel path
- The gravel path crunched under our feet.
- gravel road
- We drove along a narrow gravel road.
- a pile of gravel
- A pile of gravel sat in the corner of the yard.
- spread gravel
- They spread gravel over the muddy area.
- gravel pit
- The old gravel pit is now a small lake.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- gravelly adjective
- Containing or covered with gravel; also describes a rough, harsh voice.
Commonly confused: gravel or gavel?
gravel vs gavel
A small wooden hammer used by a judge or auctioneer; it sounds similar but has a different meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'gravel' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The first sentence correctly uses 'gravel' as an uncountable noun for small stones. The second confuses it with 'gavel' (a hammer), the third uses 'gravel' where 'gravelly' (adjective) would be needed, and the fourth incorrectly makes it countable.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gravel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.