We use stones for building and also for decoration. But, what do we call a group of stones when we see one? We listed the collective nouns you could use for a group of stones below, together with their meanings and sample sentences.
Collective Nouns for Stones
Cairn/Heap
(Meaning) Cairn comes from the Gaelic language which means heap. A cairn of stones is a group of man-made stones gathered and piled together to form a landmark.
Example 1: They say that this is an ancient cairn of stones and should not be touched.
Example 2: This is a beautifully placed heap of stones. It does add character to this place.
Pile
(Meaning) A pile of stones is a group of stones that are thrown together or laying on top of each other. These stones are usually just scattered without proper placement or design.
Example 1: Get rid of the pile of stones out front because it is an eyesore.
Example 2: Are you sure you’ll be using the pile of stones in the backyard? It has been sitting there for weeks.
Truckload
(Meaning) A truckload of stones is a collective noun that refers to a truck full of stones used for construction or decorative purposes that needs transport from one place to another.
Example 1: Don’t get too near the truckful of stones, for they might fall out while the truck is moving.
Example 2: I ordered a truckful of stones for our garden and it should arrive tomorrow.
Mound
(Meaning) A mound of stones is a general term used to call a group of stones that are used to mark a boundary, a memorial, or a burial site.
Example 1: Don’t mess with the mound of stones the locals warned us about.
Example 2: We need to move the mound of stones by the driveway or it will block the truck from coming in and out.