What does "tombstone" mean?
A grave marker, a stone slab or similar object marking a person's grave.
Tombstone
/ˈtuːmstəʊn/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A grave marker, a stone slab or similar object marking a person's grave.
- Grammar: tombstone is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: gravestone, headstone, arch, barrow.
- Useful contrasts: active record, live data, unmarked grave.
- Usage evidence: They set up a tombstone over the grave overlooking the harbor.
How to use "tombstone"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tombstone" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tombstone" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tombstone" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tombstone" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tombstone" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "gravestone" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tombstone", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A grave marker, a stone slab or similar object marking a person's grave.
"True, there's no harm in crying for one's husband, and the tombstone, though plain, was a solid piece of work, and on summer's days when the widow brought her boys to stand there one felt kindly towards her."
- 2 a stone that is used to mark a grave wordnet
- 3 The symbol "∎" marking the end of a proof.
- 4 A marker that takes the place of deleted data, allowing for replication of the deletion across servers etc.
"If you attempt to restore a backup that is older than the tombstone lifetime, it may introduce objects that were deleted […]"
- 5 A crashdump.
"This actually results in a crash dump, which is written to the log and to a tombstone file."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 An unusual morphological feature on an electrocardiogram indicative of acute myocardial infarction, characterized by a massive ST elevation.
- 7 A printed advertisement in a newspaper or magazine, typically having unadorned centered text in black and white, enclosed in a simple box.
- 8 A museum plaque or caption displaying information about a work of art or exhibited object.
"The last bit of information on each tombstone is an accession number—an alphanumeric block that is assigned when an object is added (accessioned) to the museums’ collections."
- 9 A pawnbroker's ticket. archaic, slang
""[…] Pity we're not both same size, or I'd steal one of your shirts, for I buried the last of mine yesterday, and here's the tombstone," producing a pawnbroker's duplicate."
Verb
- 1 To take part in tombstoning: to jump into the sea, etc. from a cliff or other high point so as to enter the water vertically straight. UK, intransitive
- 2 For a surfboard to stand upright half-submerged in the water (like a tombstone, above) because the surfer is underwater with his or her legrope pulled tight. Often this indicates a surfer in difficulty, either held down by the power of a wave or unconscious and unable to get to the surface.
"Before the contest even started, Slater went down hard in a warmup session. He took a two-wave hold-down in the semifinals, his board tombstoning eerily for all to see, […]"
- 3 To replace (an object or data) with a tombstone marker. transitive
"One of the many improvements in Windows 2000 WINS (and NT4 SP4) is the capability to selectively delete or tombstone records."
Proper Noun
- 1 A city in Cochise County, southeastern Arizona, United States.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
active recordlive dataunmarked grave
Example
"They set up a tombstone over the grave overlooking the harbor."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tombstone"?
Common synonyms include: gravestone, headstone, arch, barrow, boundary stone, brass.
How do you use "tombstone" in a sentence?
They set up a tombstone over the grave overlooking the harbor.
How do you pronounce "tombstone"?
Pronounced /ˈtuːmstəʊn/.
Etymology
From tomb + stone.
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