also: おおいし
large stone; boulder
General term for a big rock or boulder. Can be used in everyday contexts.
庭に大石を置いて飾りにした。
I placed a large stone in the garden as a decoration.
A boulder came rolling down the mountainside.
川のそばに大きな大石が転がっている。
A big boulder is lying by the river.
dragon (go); large connected group of stones
Go term: a long, connected group of stones that spans a wide area, often hard to capture.
相手の大石を攻めるのがこの局面の鍵だ。
Attacking the opponent's dragon is the key to this position.
相手の大石を取って勝負が決まった。
Capturing the opponent's large group decided the game.
He piled up boulders in the garden to create a rock garden.
The large group in the center died, putting him at a big disadvantage.
岩 refers broadly to rock or a natural rock formation, whereas 大石 specifically highlights a single stone's large size.
大石 is typically counted with 個, the general counter used for stones and rocks regardless of size.
Standard kanji spelling for 'large stone' or 'boulder'.
Alternate reading, often used in proper names or when emphasizing size.
Compound of 大 (large) and 石 (stone). The reading たいせき is the on'yomi, while おおいし is the kun'yomi. The go sense is a specialized extension of the literal meaning.