holystone

(h6’li-ston), n. [Said to be so called because used in cleaning the decks for Sunday. ] A soft sandstone used by seamen for scrubbing the decks of a ship. See the extract. The holystone is a large, soft stone, smooth on the bottom, with long ropes attached to each end, by which the crew keep it sliding fore and aft over the wet sanded decks, R. H, Dana, Jr., Before the Mast, p. 208.