gravelous

English

Alternative forms

• gravellous

Etymology

From Middle English gravelous, from Old French gravelos.

Adjective

gravelous (comparative more gravelous, superlative most gravelous)

1. Synonym of gravelly
   • 1668, “The Astringent, or binding Saffron of Mars”, in [William Aglionby], transl., The Art of Chymistry: As it is now Practised, London: […] John Starkey, […], translation of [Cours de Chymie] by P[ierre] Thibaut, obs. 4, page 246:

     That we ſearce it through a Silk Sieve, that ſo we may make it ſo impalpable, as that in paſſing through the Stomack, it leaves no hard gravelous ſubſtance, that might offend the Coats of the Stomack, or Inteſtines.

   • 1706, John Marten, transl., A Treatise of the Safe, Internal Use of Cantharides, in the Practice of Physick, London: […] Jeffery Wale […] and John Isted […], translation of Tutus Cantharidum in Medicina usus internus by John Greenfield, page 303:

     Patient be gravellous withal, he muſt drink the Spaw-waters, not conſidering how the Patient uſed to live before.

   • 1829, “Of stimulating medications applied to the genito-urinary organs”, in [François-]Xavier Tessier, transl., Treatise on Therapeutics, Arranged on the Principles of the New Medical Doctrine. The French Practice of Medicine: […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: […] E. Bliss, […], translation of [Traité Thérapeutique Rédigé Suivant les Principes de la Nouvelle Doctrine Médicale] by L[ouis] J[acques] Bégin, book III (Direct Stimulating Medications), section IV (Of the Excitations of the organs secreting the Urine), page 70:

     During the operation of such remedies, calculous patients are delighted in observing their urine become muddy and loaded with gravellous particles;

   • 1884 January 23, Geo[rge] W[ashington] Roosevelt, “Cultivation of the Vine in the Gironde”, in Fruit Culture in the Several Countries. […] (United States Consular Reports; No. 41½), Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, published June 1884, section “Soils”, page 712:

     The land more or less devoted to viticulture in the department of Gironde may be divided into six categories: (1) Alluvial or palus land, (2) rich, strong soil, (3) marly calcareous land, (4) gravelous land, (5) siliceous, and (6) sablo-argillaceous land. […] Gravelous land is the most favorable for vine culture as regards the quality of the production, and may be divided into two classes: (1) On gravelous land composed of stones or quartz, being about three feet in depth, and having a subsoil of clay and argil or alios, the best growths of Médoc and Graves are cultivated; (2) sandy, gravelous land, forming a composition of sand and stones, based on an inert sand or upon aliotic layers, is not propitious to the vine in consequence of the humidity of the subsoil.

   • 1945, The Annals of St. Joseph, section I (The New Missionary), page 14, columns 1–2:

     No sooner has he put his feet on the gravellous little platform, when a vast crowd of happily smiling and shouting Christians surround him, and after asking the first blessing, respectfully place their fresh, wet garlands of jasmine flowers around his bending neck.

   • 2005, C.S. Raghav, Poonam Suneja, K.C. Bhatt, J.B. Tomar, S.S. Malik, “Exploration of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Tribal Areas of Jharkhand and West Bengal for Chemo-ethnobotanical Studies”, in Shakti Kumar Prabhuji, Govind P. Rao, S.K. Patil, editors, Recent Advances in Medicinal Plants Research, New Delhi: Satish Publication House, →ISBN, pages 150 and 152:

     The soil is very shallow, gravelous and the most part is rocky. […] It was found growing in gravelous, fine sandy soil, fertile and non fertile^[sic] soils.