dolmen

American  

[dohl-men, -muhn, dol-] / ˈdoʊl mɛn, -mən, ˈdɒl- /

noun

Archaeology.

1. a structure usually regarded as a tomb, consisting of two or more large, upright stones set with a space between and capped by a horizontal stone.

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dolmen British  

/ ˈdɒlmɛn /

noun

1. (in British archaeology) a Neolithic stone formation, consisting of a horizontal stone supported by several vertical stones, and thought to be a tomb

2. (in French archaeology) any megalithic tomb

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Other Word Forms

• dolmenic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of dolmen

First recorded in 1855–60; from French, from Cornish, form of tolmen “hole of stone” (taken by French archaeologists to mean cromlech ), from toll “hole” (compare Irish toll, Welsh twll ) + men “stone” ( cf. menhir); alternatively, perhaps from a corruption of Breton taol “table” (from Latin tabula; see table) + maen “stone”

Example Sentences

In central Spain, receding water in the Valdecanas reservoir exposed Bronze Age granite stones known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal, according to Reuters news service.

From Scientific American • Oct. 31, 2022

Since resurfacing in the summer of 2019, the Dolmen of Guadalperal has re-emerged every July, only to be swallowed by the lake again every September.

From New York Times • Sep. 9, 2022

The Dolmen of Guadalperal is an ancient monument in Spain that reminds people of ____________.

From NewsForKids.net • Aug. 31, 2022

Known locally as the Dolmen of Guadalperal, this historic site is also dubbed the “Spanish Stonehenge” for its resemblance to the much more famous site in England.

From The Verge • Aug. 24, 2022

And suddenly, on reaching the Dolmen, she beheld a sight the meaning of which was immediately clear to her.

From The Secret of Sarek by Leblanc, Maurice