• (America) IPA: /ˈpɛb.əl/

pebble

1. A small stone, especially one rounded by the action of water.
   • c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act V, scene iii]:

     Then let the pebbles on the hungry beach
     Fillip the stars;

   • 1671, John Milton, “Book the Fourth”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: Printed by J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], OCLC 228732398 ↗:

     And trifles for choice matters, worth a sponge;
     As children gathering pebbles on the shore.

2. (geology) A particle from 4 to 64 mm in diameter, following the Wentworth scale.
3. (curling) A small droplet of water intentionally sprayed on the ice that cause irregularities on the surface.
4. Transparent and colourless rock crystal.

   Brazilian pebble

5. A form of slow-burning gunpowder in large cubical grains.

   Synonyms: cube powder, prismatic powder

• French: galet on a beach, caillou
• German: Stein, Steinchen, Kiesel, Kieselstein
• Italian: ciottolo
• Portuguese: seixo, pedregulho, pedrinha
• Russian: га́лька
• Spanish: guijarro, canto pelado, canto rodado, china

• French: gravillon

pebble (pebbles, present participle pebbling; past and past participle pebbled)

1. (transitive) To pave with pebbles.
2. (transitive, curling) To deposit water droplets on the ice.

   to pebble the ice between games

3. (transitive) To give (leather) a rough appearance with small rounded prominences.
4. (transitive, graph theory) To place a pebble at (a vertex of a graph) according to certain rules; see pebble game.

• Italian: acciottolare
• Spanish: empedrar