French word

gravier

Pronunciation

IPA/gʁavje/

Meaning

  • masculine noungravel

Example

Il y a beaucoup de gravier ici.

There is a lot of gravel here.

Illustration for gravier (gravel)

More examples

Ils ont recouvert l'allée de gravier.

They covered the walkway with gravel.

Core concept

A loose bed of small stones that forms a hard-wearing surface or serves as aggregate in construction.

Common phrases

  • tas de gravier

    pile of gravel

  • chemin de gravier

    gravel path

  • allée en gravier

    gravel walkway

Similar words

caillou: A small stone that can be held in one hand.
gravillon: A mass of fine, grain-sized stones.
galet: A smooth, rounded stone found by the sea or in rivers.
pierre: A large stone used in buildings or roads.

Definition in French

Masse de petits cailloux, roulés ou broyés, employée comme revêtement de sol pour allées, parkings ou comme matériau inerte en construction.

Word origin

The noun gravier comes through Old French from Latin glarea and retained its connection with a mass of small stones.

Usage tips

  • Gravillon refers to smaller pieces than gravier and is useful when the size distinction matters.

Related words

  • gravillonsmall gravelnoun
  • gravillonnégraveledadjective
  • graveleuxgravellyadjective

Word lists with this word