épierrer

Senses

1. 1.

   to clear of stones; to remove stones from

   Remove stones or rocky debris from land, a field, or a path

2. 2.

   to stone to death (archaic/literary)

   To kill by pelting with stones

Examples

• "Les agriculteurs ont dû épierrer le champ avant de planter."

  The farmers had to clear the field of stones before planting.

• "Il faut épierrer ce terrain rocheux pour en faire un jardin."

  We need to remove the stones from this rocky land to make it into a garden.

• "Les ouvriers épierrent le chemin pour le rendre praticable."

  The workers are clearing stones from the path to make it passable.

Usage

Primarily an agricultural or construction term referring to the practical removal of stones from land. The second sense (to stone to death) is archaic and rarely used in modern French. It is a regular first-group verb (like parler).