holystone

[ hoh-lee-stohn ]

/ ˈhoʊ liˌstoʊn /

a block of soft sandstone used in scrubbing the decks of a ship.

to scrub with a holystone.

Origin of holystone

1815–25; holy + stone; perhaps orig. jocular or profane

holyhead island, holyoake, holyoke, holyrood, holyroodhouse, holystone, holytide, hom, hom-, homa, homage

If my boot should leave a stain on the marble, George must not holystone it away.

A Mark Twain Christmas Story |The Daily Beast |December 24, 2009 |DAILY BEAST
A small flint or stone having a natural hole in it, and worn as a charm, is also called a holystone.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 5 |Various
Birch stooped over his holystone, and Peters turned to go forward again.

The Pirate Shark |Elliott Whitney
On deck, the men began to holystone the planks, polish up the brasswork, and make everything shipshape for port.

A Boy's Voyage Round the World |The Son of Samuel Smiles

I need scarcely explain that holystone is a large soft stone, used with water, for scrubbing the dirt off the ship's decks.

A Boy's Voyage Round the World |The Son of Samuel Smiles
The Malay swung aside; the holystone crunched into the sack of eggs and slid to earth.

Cursed |George Allan England

holystone

/ (ˈhəʊlɪˌstəʊn) /

a soft sandstone used for scrubbing the decks of a vessel

(tr) to scrub (a vessel's decks) with a holystone

C19: perhaps so named from its being used in a kneeling position