megalith

[meg-uh-lith]

noun

1. a stone of great size, especially in ancient construction work, as the Cyclopean masonry, or in prehistoric Neolithic remains, as dolmens or menhirs.

megalith

/ ˈmɛɡəlɪθ /

noun

1. a stone of great size, esp one forming part of a prehistoric monument See also alignment circle

Other Word Forms

• megalithic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of megalith¹

First recorded in 1850–55; mega- + -lith

Example Sentences

Their work offers evidence for the first time of links between cattle remains at Stonehenge and Wales, at the time when the bluestone megaliths were moved to the site.

From BBC

“A rich garden of life has grown on the megaliths, an exceptional lichen garden has grown. So it’s potentially quite concerning.”

From BBC

The future host of TV shows such as PBS’ “Nova ScienceNow” was part of an expedition led by Gerald Hawkins, the scientist who first theorized that Stonehenge’s mysterious megaliths were an ancient astronomical observatory.

From Seattle Times

“With these megaliths, it’s the end of the era of these big sites with people being killed.”

From Science Magazine

"This differs from what we usually see in megalith graves, i.e. stone burial chambers from the Neolithic period," Karl-Göran Sjögren explains.

From Science Daily