Stonecatcher
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Something that catches or traps stones.
"The dirt and stones detached from the beets are deposited on the floor of the stonecatcher, or receiver, fixed to the back part of this machine, from which they are from time to time emptied out from below;"
- 2 A person who shows mercy by intervening when someone is treated with overly harsh or cruel punishments. figuratively
"But today, our self-righteousness, our fear, and our anger have caused even the Christians to hurl stones at the people who fall down, even when we know we should forgive or show compassion. I told the congregation that we can't simply watch that happen. I told them we have to be stonecatchers."
Example
More examples"The dirt and stones detached from the beets are deposited on the floor of the stonecatcher, or receiver, fixed to the back part of this machine, from which they are from time to time emptied out from below;"
Etymology
From stone + catcher. The metaphoric meaning refers to the biblical verse (John 8:7) "let he who is without sin cast the first stone", and was popularized by Bryan Stevenson, who heard the term used by a woman in a Louisiana courtroom.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.