Pebbly

Pebbly is an adjective used to describe a surface or material that is covered with pebbles or that resembles such a texture. Pebbles are small, rounded stones typically formed by weathering and water transport. A pebbly surface is coarser than sandy or muddy textures and often features irregular, rounded inclusions that influence drainage and stability.

Common contexts for the term include beaches, riverbanks, and soils where pebbles are abundant. A pebbly beach or shoreline is typically shaped by wave action that sorts and deposits pebbles of varying sizes, while a pebbly riverbed contains a mix of small stones through which water can flow more readily than through finer sediments. In soils, a pebbly texture indicates a high content of coarse fragments, which affects porosity, drainage, and suitability for agriculture or construction.

In sedimentology and geomorphology, pebbles are defined by size as clasts roughly 4 to 64 millimeters in diameter, making pebble-rich deposits visually and physically coarser than gravels composed of a broader range of sizes. The term pebbly can also appear in horticulture and landscaping to describe ground cover, paths, or mulch that uses exposed pebbles for decoration or drainage.

Etymology: the adjective pebbly derives from the noun pebble, with the suffix -y forming a descriptor of a characteristic. Related terms include pebble, gravel, and cobble, which describe progressively larger rock fragments.