Calculus vs. Stone — What's the Difference?

A hard, crystalline deposit within the body.

Naturally formed through geological processes.

Associated with pain and medical complications.

Can be polished and used in jewelry.

Also known as kidney stones when found in the kidneys.

Used in construction and landscaping.

Can form in organs such as the gallbladder.

Generally larger and varied in composition compared to calculus.

Treated by medical procedures if necessary.

Hard solid non-metallic mineral matter of which rock is made, especially as a building material

Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithmetic operations. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus; the former concerns instantaneous rates of change, and the slopes of curves, while integral calculus concerns accumulation of quantities, and areas under or between curves.

A piece of stone shaped for a purpose, especially one of commemoration, ceremony, or demarcation

(Medicine) An abnormal concretion in the body, usually formed of mineral salts and found in the gallbladder, kidney, or urinary bladder, for example.

A hard seed in a cherry, plum, peach, and some other fruits.

(Dentistry) See tartar.

A unit of weight equal to 14 lb (6.35 kg)

The branch of mathematics that deals with limits and the differentiation and integration of functions of one or more variables.

A natural shade of whitish or brownish-grey

A method of analysis or calculation using a special symbolic notation.

Throw stones at

The combined mathematics of differential calculus and integral calculus.

Remove the stone from (a fruit).

A system or method of calculation

Build, face, or pave with stone

Calculation; computation.

Concreted earthy or mineral matter; rock.

Any formal system in which symbolic expressions are manipulated according to fixed rules.

Such concreted matter of a particular type. Often used in combination

Differential calculus and integral calculus considered as a single subject; analysis.

A small piece of rock.

A stony concretion that forms in a bodily organ.

A piece of rock that is used in construction

Deposits of calcium phosphate salts on teeth.

A gravestone or tombstone.

(countable) A decision-making method, especially one appropriate for a specialised realm.

A grindstone, millstone, or whetstone.

Any solid concretion, formed in any part of the body, but most frequent in the organs that act as reservoirs, and in the passages connected with them; as, biliary calculi; urinary calculi, etc.

A milestone or boundary.

A method of computation; any process of reasoning by the use of symbols; any branch of mathematics that may involve calculation.

A gem or precious stone.

A hard lump produced by the concretion of mineral salts; found in hollow organs or ducts of the body;

Something, such as a hailstone, resembling a stone in shape or hardness.

An incrustation that forms on the teeth and gums

(Botany) The hard covering enclosing the seed in certain fruits, such as the cherry, plum, or peach.

The branch of mathematics that is concerned with limits and with the differentiation and integration of functions

(Medicine) A mineral concretion in an organ, such as the kidney or gallbladder, or other body part; a calculus.

Pl. stone Abbr. st. A unit of weight in Great Britain, 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms).

(Printing) A table with a smooth surface on which page forms are composed.

Relating to or made of stone

Made of stoneware or earthenware.

Complete; utter. Often used in combination

Completely; utterly

To hurl or throw stones at, especially to kill with stones.

To remove the stones or pits from.

To furnish, fit, pave, or line with stones.

To rub on or with a stone in order to polish or sharpen.

(Sports) To block a shot taken by (an opponent). Used of a goalie.

(Obsolete) To make hard or indifferent.

(uncountable) A hard earthen substance that can form large rocks.

A small piece of stone, a pebble.

A gemstone, a jewel, especially a diamond.

(British) A unit of mass equal to 14 pounds (≈6.3503 kilograms), formerly used for various commodities (wool, cheese, etc.), but now principally used for personal weight.

(botany) The central part of some fruits, particularly drupes; consisting of the seed and a hard endocarp layer.

(medicine) A hard, stone-like deposit.

(board games) A playing piece made of any hard material, used in various board games such as backgammon and go.

A dull light grey or beige, like that of some stones.

(curling) A 42-pound, precisely shaped piece of granite with a handle attached, which is bowled down the ice.

A monument to the dead; a gravestone or tombstone.

(obsolete) A mirror, or its glass.

(obsolete) A testicle.

A stand or table with a smooth, flat top of stone, commonly marble, on which to arrange the pages of a book, newspaper, etc. before printing.

(transitive) To pelt with stones, especially to kill by pelting with stones.

(transitive) To wall with stones.

(transitive) To remove a stone from (fruit etc.).

(intransitive) To form a stone during growth, with reference to fruit etc.

To intoxicate, especially with narcotics. Usually in passive

To do nothing, to stare blankly into space and not pay attention when relaxing or when bored.

(transitive) To lap with an abrasive stone to remove surface irregularities.

Constructed of stone.

Having the appearance of stone.

Of a dull light grey or beige, like that of some stones.

(AAVE) Used as an intensifier.

As a stone used with following adjective.

(slang) Absolutely, completely used with following adjectives.

Concreted earthy or mineral matter; also, any particular mass of such matter; as, a house built of stone; the boy threw a stone; pebbles are rounded stones.

A precious stone; a gem.

Something made of stone. Specifically: -

The glass of a mirror; a mirror.

A calculous concretion, especially one in the kidneys or bladder; the disease arising from a calculus.

A monument to the dead; a gravestone.

One of the testes; a testicle.

The hard endocarp of drupes; as, the stone of a cherry or peach. See Illust. of Endocarp.

A weight which legally is fourteen pounds, but in practice varies with the article weighed.

Fig.: Symbol of hardness and insensibility; torpidness; insensibility; as, a heart of stone.

A stand or table with a smooth, flat top of stone, commonly marble, on which to arrange the pages of a book, newspaper, etc., before printing; - called also imposing stone.

To pelt, beat, or kill with stones.

To make like stone; to harden.

To free from stones; also, to remove the seeds of; as, to stone a field; to stone cherries; to stone raisins.

To wall or face with stones; to line or fortify with stones; as, to stone a well; to stone a cellar.

To rub, scour, or sharpen with a stone.

A lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter;

Material consisting of the aggregate of minerals like those making up the Earth's crust;

Building material consisting of a piece of rock hewn in a definite shape for a special purpose;

A crystalline rock that can be cut and polished for jewelry;

The hard inner (usually woody) layer of the pericarp of some fruits (as peaches or plums or cherries or olives) that contains the seed;

An avoirdupois unit used to measure the weight of a human body; equal to 14 pounds;

United States filmmaker (born in 1946)

United States feminist and suffragist (1818-1893)

United States journalist who advocated liberal causes (1907-1989)

United States jurist who served on the United States Supreme Court as Chief Justice (1872-1946)

United States architect (1902-1978)

A lack of feeling or expression or movement;

Remove the pits from;

Stones are widely used in construction, landscaping, jewelry making, and as decorative elements.

A calculus is a hard deposit that forms in the body, often composed of mineral salts.

A stone typically refers to a naturally occurring piece of rock, whereas a calculus specifically refers to hard deposits formed in the body.

Increasing fluid intake, reducing salt, and limiting foods high in oxalates can help prevent certain types of calculi.

Calculus can form in the kidneys, bladder, gallbladder, and even on teeth as tartar.

Treatment can range from dietary changes and increased fluid intake to medical procedures like shock wave lithotripsy or surgical removal, depending on the size and location of the calculus.

Yes, anyone can develop a calculus, although some people are more prone due to genetic factors or lifestyle choices.

Factors include dehydration, certain diets, and genetic predisposition among others.

Stones can take thousands to millions of years to form through natural geological processes.

Yes, stones can be artificially created or processed for various uses, such as in construction and jewelry.

Yes, by definition, stones are hard, solid masses made up of minerals.

Stones can vary widely, from precious stones like diamonds to common gravel used in road building.

Yes, without proper management and treatment, certain types of calculi can recur in the body.

Not always, but larger calculi can cause significant pain and other health complications.

The largest naturally occurring stone is probably Mount Augustus in Western Australia, considered the largest rock.