tumulus

[ too-myuh-luh s, tyoo- ]
/ ˈtu myə ləs, ˈtyu- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR tumulus ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural tu·mu·lus·es, tu·mu·li [too-myuh-lahy, tyoo-] /ˈtu myəˌlaɪ, ˈtyu-/.

Archaeology. an artificial mound, especially over a grave; barrow.
Geology. a domelike swelling or mound formed in congealed lava.

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Origin of tumulus

1680–90; < Latin: mound, swelling, equivalent to tum(ēre) to swell + -ulus -ule

Words nearby tumulus

tumulose, tumulous, tumult, tumultuary, tumultuous, tumulus, tun, tun., tuna, tunable, tunbridge ware
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to tumulus

mountain, rise, hillock, shock, drift, dune, pile, bank, embankment, knoll, mass, stack, molehill, anthill, mote, hog, hill, mound, gurry

Example sentences from the Web for tumulus

British Dictionary definitions for tumulus

tumulus
/ (ˈtjuːmjʊləs) /

noun plural -li (-liː)

archaeol (no longer in technical usage) another word for barrow 2

Word Origin for tumulus

C17: from Latin: a hillock, from tumēre to swell up
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