noun
throwing stone; stone missile
A stone used as a projectile, especially one thrown by hand. Often appears in set phrases like つぶてを打つ (to throw stones).
子供たちは川に向かってつぶてを投げた。
The children threw stones into the river.
つぶてを打つような返事だった。
It was a curt reply, like throwing a stone.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the word is native Japanese and has been used since the Heian period.