SINCE 1828
tumulus
noun
tu·mu·lus
| \ ˈtü-myə-ləs
, ˈtyü-, ˈtə-\
, ˈtyü-, ˈtə-\
plural tumuli\ ˈtü-myə-ˌlī
, -ˌlē , ˈtyü- , ˈtə- \
, -ˌlē , ˈtyü- , ˈtə- \
Definition of tumulus
: an artificial hillock or mound (as over a grave)
especially
: an ancient grave : barrow
Examples of tumulus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The pressure may have pushed that tumulus to sea level. — Megan Friedman, Popular Mechanics, "The Kilauea Volcano Created a Tiny New ‘Island’ Off the Coast of Hawaii," 16 July 2018 The running theory is that the island was a submarine tumulus created when the pressure of slow-moving lava lifts the crust above it. — Megan Friedman, Popular Mechanics, "The Kilauea Volcano Created a Tiny New ‘Island’ Off the Coast of Hawaii," 16 July 2018 Resembling an ancient burial mound known as a tumulus, Maropeng's entrance blends artfully with the grassland surroundings. — Smithsonian, "Accessibility Navigation," 27 Mar. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tumulus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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