| Library / English Dictionary |
CORNERSTONE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A stone at the outer corner of two intersecting masonry walls
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("cornerstone" is a kind of...):
stone (building material consisting of a piece of rock hewn in a definite shape for a special purpose)
Holonyms ("cornerstone" is a part of...):
building; edifice (a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A stone in the exterior of a large and important building; usually carved with a date and laid with appropriate ceremonies
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("cornerstone" is a kind of...):
stone (building material consisting of a piece of rock hewn in a definite shape for a special purpose)
Holonyms ("cornerstone" is a part of...):
building; edifice (a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained
Example:
the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture
Synonyms:
base; basis; cornerstone; foundation; fundament; groundwork
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("cornerstone" is a kind of...):
assumption; supposal; supposition (a hypothesis that is taken for granted)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cornerstone"):
meat and potatoes (the fundamental part)
Holonyms ("cornerstone" is a part of...):
explanation (thought that makes something comprehensible)
