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Halafian

American  
[huh-lah-fee-uhn] / həˈlɑ fi ən /
Also Halaf

adjective

  1. of or belonging to the Neolithic culture chiefly of northern Syria, dating to the fifth millennium b.c. and characterized by adobe dwellings and polychrome pottery decorated with animal designs and geometric patterns.

noun

  1. a person who belonged to this culture.

Halafian British  
/ həˈlɑːfɪən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the Neolithic culture extending from Iran to the Mediterranean

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Halafian

1935–40; after ( Tell ) Halaf mound in Syria; -ian

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Halafian pottery marks a turning point, introducing plants as a recurring and thoughtfully designed subject in visual culture.

From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025

Although written mathematical records appear much later in Sumer, the Halafian pottery points to an earlier and more intuitive form of mathematical reasoning.

From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.