megalith

[ meg-uh-lith ]

/ ˈmɛg ə lɪθ /

noun

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

Nearby words

megakaryocytic leukemia, megal-, megalecithal, megalesia, megalgia, megalith, megalithic tomb, megalitre, megalo-, megaloblast, megaloblastic anaemia

Origin of megalith

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

Related forms

meg·a·lith·ic, adjectivepre·meg·a·lith·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for megalithic

There are, however, four tombs in the south-east of the island which show some affinity to megalithic work.
Rough Stone Monuments and Their Builders|T. Eric Peet
The megalithic tomb-chamber or the sarcophagus which sometimes replaces it lies in the circular part of the mound.
Rough Stone Monuments and Their Builders|T. Eric Peet
The megalithic chambers within the mound are of three types.
Rough Stone Monuments and Their Builders|T. Eric Peet
Whatever they may be, the megalithic engravings are the earliest graphic historical documents of the country.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, February 1899|Various

The latter is volcanic in origin, and its surface presents no opportunity for the building of megalithic monuments.
Rough Stone Monuments and Their Builders|T. Eric Peet

British Dictionary definitions for megalithic

megalith

/ (ˈmɛɡəlɪθ) /

noun

a stone of great size, esp one forming part of a prehistoric monumentSee also alignment (def. 6), circle (def. 11)

Derived Forms

megalithic, adjective

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