whinstone

[ hwin-stohn, win- ]

/ ˈʰwɪnˌstoʊn, ˈwɪn- /

Chiefly British. any of the dark-colored, fine-grained rocks, especially igneous rocks, as dolerite and basalt.

Origin of whinstone

1505–15; dial. (Scots and N England) whin whinstone (Middle English quin < ?) + stone

whinchat, whine, whing-ding, whinge, whinny, whinstone, whiny, whio, whip, whip graft, whip hand

You see I know too much, and I haven't your whinstone nerve and total lack of imagination.'

Prester John |John Buchan
The roof was formed of large flat slabs, which I was told were whinstone (basalt).

Ulster Folklore |Elizabeth Andrews
The result was an intermediate substance, neither glass nor whinstone—a sort of slag.

An Introduction to the History of Science |Walter Libby
It consisted of an elevated tableland composed of ironstone and granite occasionally traversed by veins of whinstone.

Journals Of Two Expeditions Of Discovery In North-West And Western Australia, Vol. 1 (of 2) |George Grey

It is of whinstone, and "appears not to have had the chisel, or any inscription upon it."

Archaeological Essays, Vol. 1 |James Y. Simpson

whinstone

/ (ˈwɪnˌstəʊn) /

any dark hard fine-grained rock, such as basalt

C16: from whin ² + stone