A pebble is a tiny rock that is smooth and round. You often find pebbles on the ground near water. People can hold them easily in their hands.
She picked up a pebble from the beach.
The river was full of smooth pebbles.
Sometimes, small stones called pebbles are used to play games. Kids might throw or roll them in games like marbles or skipping stones. These pebbles are usually smooth and easy to hold.
He used a pebble to play in the yard.
The children collected pebbles for their game.
Pebbles are also small stones used by builders and gardeners. Many pebbles together can make paths or cover areas to stop mud. They are hard and often look nice in gardens or parks.
The path was covered with pebbles for walking.
They used pebbles to make the garden road.
As a verb, pebble means to throw small stones so that they bounce on water. This is a fun activity often done near lakes or rivers. You throw the stone with a flat side to make it skip across the surface.
He pebbled stones on the lake surface.
They pebbled rocks across the river today.
Pebble can also mean to hit something many times with small, hard objects like rain drops or hail stones. This use is more poetic and means a light, repeated hitting sound.
Rain pebbled against the window quickly.
The hail pebbled the roof last night.
Pebble as a verb can mean to spread small stones over an area. This is often done to make the ground look nice or to protect it. It means putting many small stones on the surface.
They pebbled the garden path yesterday.
The workers pebbled the road neatly.
Pebble can be used in a figurative way to mean something very small, unimportant, or worthless. This use is less common and is often used in expressions to show little care or value.
He didn’t care a pebble about that story.
Her attention was not worth a pebble here.