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DictionarypebbleSmall rounded stone
noun / verb

pebble

PEB-ul/ˈpebl/

A small rounded stone, often worn smooth by water.

A smooth rounded pebble rests beside a few grains of sand.

A single small, smooth, rounded river pebble resting beside a few grains of sand on a white ground, with the sand providing a subtle scale cue.
Etymology
pebbleOld Englishpebblestone

Old English papolstan already named a pebblestone, so the stone meaning is inherited. Its deeper origin is unknown; the source offers only tentative comparisons.

In context

Backpacker Radio24:30
you get like a really small pebble in your shoe and it's it's annoying, but it's not annoying enough that you're going to stop and take your shoe off.
A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail with Mills Kelly

More examples

  • He skips a flat pebble across the pond.
  • Tiny pebbles crunch beneath our shoes.
  • They pebble the garden path for better drainage.

Forms

pebble · pebbles · pebbled · pebbling

pebbly adjective — Covered with or full of pebbles.

Similar words

stone
Broader term that does not imply smallness or roundness.
rock
Can describe a much larger piece with rough edges.