岩石|がんせきganseki[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounrock
   岩石がんせきや鉱物こうぶつはいろいろな面めんで私わたしたちに有益ゆうえきである。↗

   Rocks and minerals are useful for us in many ways.

• Synonym岩いわNeutralThe everyday word for a large stone, rock mass or cliff; 「岩石」 is the more academic term for rock as the material making up the earth's crust.
• Related石ころいしころCasualColloquial for the small stones you pick up by the roadside, with a nuance of no value; 「岩石」 views rock as a geological material and sounds academic.
• Related石くれいしくれNeutralAlso small stones or rubble, but less common than 「石ころ」 and a touch old-fashioned; it sits on a different level from the academic 「岩石」.
• Related石塊せっかいCasualEveryday colloquial word, also written 「石塊」, for loose scattered bits of stone; 「岩石」 is the geological, academic term for the material, not individual pieces.
• RelatedストーンNeutralLoanword mostly for gem and jewelry stones, as in 「パワーストーン」; also an imperial unit of weight. Not used for geological rock.

For rock in the geological sense use 「岩石」. In everyday speech, large stones and rock masses are 「岩」, roadside pebbles 「石ころ」, and gem or jewelry stones 「ストーン」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 地球ちきゅうの地殻ちかくとマントルを構成こうせいする物質ぶっしつで、種々しゅじゅの鉱物こうぶつの集合体しゅうごうたい。