English
adder stone
From adder + stone.
Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁- ‘to spin (thread), to sew’
…
Proto-Germanic *nadrǭ
Proto-West Germanic *nadrā
Old English nǣdre ‘snake’
Middle English nadder
English adder
Proto-Indo-European *steyh₂- ‘to stiffen’
…
Proto-Germanic *stainaz
Proto-West Germanic *stain
Old English stān
Middle English ston ‘a stone’
English stone
The story
The word is attested since the late 16th century, its earliest use being found in a work by Arthur Golding (c. 1536 – 1606). The perforation was imagined to be made by the sting of an adder.
Today it means
noun A stone of varying forms and usually glassy with a naturally formed hole, which is often used as an amulet or bead.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / adder stone