handstonen.
/ˈhan(d)stəʊn/, U.S. /ˈhæn(d)ˌstoʊn/ Now historical.
A (shaped) stone or pebble thrown by hand as a missile.In later use esp. with reference to Ireland.In quot. 1692: a stone small enough to be lifted by hand.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > stone > a stone > [noun] > a small stone
fingerstone?a1425
handstone1598
knablick1757
the world > movement > impelling or driving > projecting through space or throwing > [noun] > throwing missiles > a projectile > stone
fingerstone?a1425
handstone1598
1598 R. Grenewey tr. Tacitus Annales iv. xi. 107 The barbarians..now threw hand-stones against the rampire.
1692 A. Symson Large Descr. Galloway (1823) 27 A cairn, or great heap of small hand-stones, with five or six high stones erected.
1696 J. Ovington Voy. Suratt 115 Their Martial Weapons..were neither Sword nor Spear, only Hand-stones taken up in the Streets.
1700 G. Booth tr. Diodorus Siculus Hist. Libr. iv. iv. 166 Others with Hand-stones repuls'd the Macedonians that were forcing to break in upon them.
?1794 E. Ledwich Grose's Antiq. Ireland I. Introd. p. xliii They had skenes and hand-stones.
1841 C. Otway Sketches in Erris & Tyrawly i. 17 The Tipperary boys..are..expert at braining a man with a handstone.
1903 P. W. Joyce Social Hist. Anc. Ireland I. iv. 100 Among the missive weapons of the ancient Irish was the handstone, which was kept ready for use in the hollow of the shield, and flung from the hand when the occasion came for using it.
1983 B. Z. Bokser Prayer Bk. 329 The inhabitants in the cities of Israel shall..burn the weapons,..the bows and the arrows, the handstones and the spears.
2007 J. W. Hurley Shillelagh i. 33 Handstones were still being used on a regular basis in Ireland in the 19th century by Irish shillelagh fighters.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1598