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

Derived 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

In Spain, the Dolmen of Guadalperal, a four- to five-millennium-old megalithic monument often called the Spanish Stonehenge, rose from a drought-hit dam west of Madrid.

From New York Times • Sep. 22, 2022

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

From NewsForKids.net • Aug. 31, 2022

The Dolmen of Guadalperal have only been fully exposed four times in the 60 years since they were intentionally submerged.

From The Verge • Aug. 24, 2022

"Then they take as a prophecy," said Véronique, "the words which I read on Maguennoc's drawing and again on the Fairies' Dolmen?"

From The Secret of Sarek by Leblanc, Maurice