megalith

mega·lith

noun \ˈme-gə-ˌlith\

Definition of MEGALITH

: a very large usually rough stone used in prehistoric cultures as a monument or building block

— mega·lith·ic \ˌme-gə-ˈli-thik\ adjective

Illustration of MEGALITH

First Known Use of MEGALITH

1853

Rhymes with MEGALITH

batholith, be friends with, come out with, come up with, complete with, coppersmith, dispense with, eolith, fall in with, gastrolith, Granny Smith, have done with, Hindemith, laccolith, make off with, metalsmith, microlith, monolith, neolith, put up with, reckon with, run off with, silversmith, take up with, walk off with, xenolith

megalith

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Huge, often undressed stone used in various types of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age monuments. The most ancient form of megalithic construction is probably the dolmen, a type of burial chamber consisting of several upright supports and a flat roofing slab. Another form is the menhir, a simple upright stone usually placed with others to form a circle, as at Stonehenge and Avebury in England, or a straight alignment, as at Carnac in France. The meaning of megalithic monuments remains largely unknown, but all share certain architectural and technical features suggesting that their creators sought to impose a conspicuously human design on the landscape and imbue it with cultural symbols. See also rock art.