limestone

Everyday

Limestone is a soft, usually grey or white sedimentary rock made mostly from the shells and skeletons of tiny sea creatures. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons it is a sedimentary rock that fizzes with acid (vinegar) and is worn away by rain, making caves, stalactites and stalagmites. It is used in buildings, cement and roads. Fossils are often found in it. Phrases: limestone cave, limestone cliffs, limestone pavement.

Examples

• Limestone is a sedimentary rock. tree →
• We found a fossil shell in the limestone. tree →
• Vinegar makes limestone fizz. tree →
• Rain slowly dissolves limestone and makes caves. tree →
• Many old buildings are made of limestone. tree →
• Stalactites hang from the roof of limestone caves. tree →
• Chalk is a kind of limestone. tree →
• Limestone is ground up to make cement. tree →

Note

Uncountable: "some limestone", "a piece/block of limestone". Compound: lime + stone. Trap: not igneous; limestone is sedimentary, and marble is the metamorphic rock made from it.