different between millstone vs milestone

English

Etymology

From Middle English mylnston, milneston, from Old English mylenst?n (“millstone”), equivalent to mill +? stone, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *malan? (“to grind”), *muljan? (“to crush (into pieces), to grind”) (from Proto-Indo-European *melh?- (“to crush, to grind”), from *mel-) + Proto-Germanic *stainaz (“stone”) (from Proto-Indo-European *steyh?-); cognate with Danish møllesten, Middle Dutch molensteen (modern Dutch molensteen), West Frisian molestien, Norwegian Bokmål møllestein, Old Saxon mulinst?n (Middle Low German m?lenst?n), Old High German mulinstein, mülstein (Middle High German mülstein, modern German Mühlstein).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?lst??n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?l?sto?n/
• Hyphenation: mill?stone

Noun

millstone (plural millstones)

1. A large round stone used for grinding grain.
2. (geology) A coarse-grained sandstone used for making such stones; millstone grit.
3. (figuratively) Often in a millstone round one's neck (referring to Matthew 18:6 in the Bible): a heavy responsibility that is difficult to bear.

Alternative forms

• mill-stone (dated)

Derived terms

• see into a millstone, see through a millstone

Translations

See also

• albatross around one's neck

Further reading

• millstone on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Etymology

mile +? stone.

Noun

milestone (plural milestones)

1. A stone milepost (or by extension in other materials), one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road at regular intervals, typically at the side of the road or in a median.
2. (idiomatic) An important event in a person's life or career, in the history of a nation, in the life of some project, etc.
   • 1933, Stephen Spender, "The Funeral":

     Death is another milestone on their way.

Synonyms

• landmark

Related terms

• mileage

Translations

Verb

milestone (third-person singular simple present milestones, present participle milestoning, simple past and past participle milestoned)

1. To place milestones along (a road, etc.).
2. (idiomatic) To plan out a project as a series of major steps.

Anagrams

• lemoniest, lime-stone, limestone