dolmen

noun

dol·​men ˈdōl-mən  ˈdȯl- 

ˈdäl-

plural dolmens

: a prehistoric monument of two or more upright stones supporting a horizontal stone slab

Dolmens are vertically arranged stones usually supporting a flat boulder. Although there are many scattered across Western Europe, little is known about who erected them. Human remains found in or near many have led to an often-cited theory that they are tombs.

—Silvio Castellanos and Marco Trujillo

"Dusted with magic," is how one archaeologist described the famously atmospheric hills to me, in a region long known for its intriguing stone circles, dolmens, and other megalithic monuments.

—Caroline Alexander

There's a lot more to discover such as the prehistoric dolmen structures and menhirs at Filitosa and the Scandola Nature Reserve, one of the richest marine diversity hotspots in Europe …

—Susan Gough Henly

[Mosan, South Korea] offers serene landscapes, traditional architecture and one of the world's top dolmen sites …

—Laura Begley Bloom

Illustration of dolmen

Examples of dolmen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Found throughout Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa, dolmens are prehistoric megalithic stone structures, usually built as tombs or burial sites. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025

She’s squatted on her heels within a tight copse of five or six stones leaning like dolmens, chin on chest as if an engrossing thing lies between her feet. — Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025

And sometimes the larger dolmens did seem to be roofs, with stones and earth piled around them to form what might have been a tomb. — Rosanna Warren, Harper's Magazine, 25 June 2024

These tombs also have dolmens, similar to Barnenez and Stonehenge. — Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024

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

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

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined above