milestone
noun
- numbered marker along a road or boundary
- significant event in a process
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈmaɪlˌstoʊn/ / /ˈmaɪlstəʊn/
noun
Etymology: From mile + stone. Compare Dutch mijlsteen (“milestone”), German Low German Mielensteen (“milestone”), German Meilenstein (“milestone”), Swedish milsten (“milestone”).
- A stone milepost (or by extension in other materials), one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road at regular intervals, typically at the side of the road or in a median.
- An important event in a person's life or career, in the history of a nation, in the life of some project, etc.
“Death is another milestone on their way.”
“Creating a complete map of the human connectome would therefore be a monumental milestone but not the end of the journey to understanding how our brains work.”
verb
Etymology: From mile + stone. Compare Dutch mijlsteen (“milestone”), German Low German Mielensteen (“milestone”), German Meilenstein (“milestone”), Swedish milsten (“milestone”).
- To place milestones along (a road, etc.).
- To plan out a project as a series of major steps.