dolmen

noun

dol·​men ˈdōl-mən How to pronounce dolmen (audio) ˈdȯl- How to pronounce dolmen (audio)
ˈdäl-
: a prehistoric monument of two or more upright stones supporting a horizontal stone slab found especially in Britain and France and thought to be a tomb

Illustration of dolmen

Illustration of dolmen

Examples of dolmen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Anciently created as single-chamber tombs, dolmens dot the Danish landscape, and during the Romantic era became emblems of home pride, of national strength and lastingness. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2023 Lundbye depicts dolmens in profile repeatedly and, in one watercolor drawing, from the inside. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2023 There are dolmens hidden out here in the jagged ramble and sobbing wind, ancient monoliths built by pre-historic farmers. Josh Condon, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2023 Enlarge / Sculpted menhir at the entrance of the corridor leading to the dolmen. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Aug. 2022 The vertical stones form an ovoid chamber (dolmen) connecting to a long (21 meters, or 69 feet) corridor. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Aug. 2022 The dolmen was last visible in 2019, when Europe was facing a drought, NASA said. Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2022 Speaking with DiCYT, Rojo-Guerra says that a flint blade discovered at the dolmen shows traces of being used to cut bone. Jane Recker, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Feb. 2022 Other remnants of the project lie nearby: stone-gray chunks that resemble a Neolithic dolmen. Anthony Lan, The New Yorker, 30 July 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dolmen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, probably modification of Cornish tolmen, from tol hole + men stone

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dolmen was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near dolmen

Cite this Entry

“Dolmen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dolmen. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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