stone-still

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English stone-stille, stonstyll, stonstyl, stane still, equivalent to stone + still (adjective).

Adjective

stone-still (comparative more stone-still, superlative most stone-still)

  1. As still as a stone; perfectly still or silent; motionless
    • 2011, Suraya Sadeed, Damien Lewis, Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse:
      Sekander stared out of the window with a stone-still face.
    • 2015, Elisha Cohn, Still Life:
      She lay Stone-still, and the long darkness flow'd away With muffled pulses.
    • 2015, Sara Humphreys, Vampires Never Cry Wolf:
      She remained stone-still, ready for anything, sending her heightened senses in search of who or what was encroaching on her personal space.

Etymology 2

From Middle English ston-stille, stone-stille, stonstil, stane-still, equivalent to stone + still (adverb).

Adverb

stone-still (comparative more stone-still, superlative most stone-still)

  1. In a stone-still manner
    • 2011, Jean Craighead George, How to Talk to Your Animals:
      Around 6:00 A.M., after an entire night of abuse, the omega walked to the ridge and stood stone-still.

See also

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