Meanings
plural dolmens
- historicalstrictlyA prehistoric megalithic tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones, most having originally been covered with earth or smaller stones to form a barrow.
They are expert smiths and coiners; they are said to have great treasures in the dolmen in which they dwell, and of which they are regarded as the builders.
1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 432Synonyms: cromlech, portal tomb, quoit
- broadlyAny megalithic tomb, including passage graves and wedge tombs.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA prehistoric megalithic tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones, most having originally been covered with earth or smaller stones to form a barrow.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna prehistoric megalithic tomb typically having two large upright stones and a capstone
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Cornishtolmen
- Bretontaol
- Frenchdolmen
- Englishdolmen
Borrowed from French dolmen. Perhaps incorrectly fabricated from Breton taol maen (taol (“table”) + maen (“stone”)) (the correct compound would be *taolvaen, not **daolmaen). An alternative theory states the French term derives instead from Cornish tolmen, from toll (“hole”) + men (“stone”); compare the name of the Cornish standing stones Men an Toll. See also menhir.
More words from French, Breton, Cornish
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque dolmen, harrespil
- dolmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- harrespiltomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- mairu-baratzetomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- trikuharritomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Catalan dolmen
- dolmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Chinese Mandarin 石棚, 石棚墓
- 石棚 (shípéng)tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- 石棚墓 (shípéngmù)tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- 支石墓tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Czech dolmen
- dolmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Dutch hunebed
- hunebedtomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Finnish dolmen, dolmeeni
- dolmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- dolmeenitomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
French dolmen
- dolmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
German Dolmen, Hünenbett
- Dolmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- Hünenbetttomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- Hünengrabtomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- Hünensteintomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Icelandic jötunstóll, steindys
- jötunstólltomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- steindystomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Irish liagchiorcal
- liagchiorcaltomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Japanese 支石墓
- 支石墓 (shisekibo)tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Korean 고인돌
- 고인돌 (goindol)tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Polish dolmen
- dolmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Portuguese dólmen
- dólmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Russian дольме́н
- дольме́н (dolʹmén)tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Scottish Gaelic cromleac
- cromleactomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Spanish dolmen
- dolmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Swedish dös, stendös
- döstomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
- stendöstomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Turkish dolmen
- dolmentomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Welsh cromlech
- cromlechtomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
dolmen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dolmen
“dolmen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dolmen. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dolmen,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dolmen.
Source: dolmen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.