Meanings
plural sarsens
- Any of various blocks of sandstone found in various locations in southern England.
The stones, called sarsens, came from the nearby Marlborough Downs, and all are naturally shaped.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 42, concerning Avebury1 more example
The study pinpointed the source of the sarsens, a mystery that has long bedeviled geologists and archaeologists.
2020 July 29, Franz Lidz, “Whence Came Stonehenge’s Stones? Now We Know”, in New York TimesSynonyms: greywether, Saracen's stone, Saracen stone, Sarsden, Sarsden stone, sarsen stone
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of various blocks of sandstone found in various locations in southern England.
Origin
From Saracen (“Muslim”), by extension, “non-Christian, pagan”.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
sarsen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sarsen
“sarsen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sarsen. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sarsen,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sarsen.
Source: sarsen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.