Standard Lemma guide

cromlech

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɹɒmlɛk/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-lək/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ləx/ following the pronunciation in Wales
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-lɛx/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈkɹɑmˌlɛk/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Wales: /ˈkɹɒmːlɛx/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Synonym of stone circle (“a prehistoric monument consisting of standing stones arranged in a circle”), especially one located in Brittany, France.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: archaeology, history, human-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stone circle

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

synonym of altar tomb or dolmen (“a prehistoric megalithic tomb consisting of a (somewhat) flat capstone lying horizontally on two or more upright stones”), especially one located in Wales, but also in England (chiefly Cornwall and Devon) or Ireland.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, Wales

Topics: archaeology, history, human-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: altar tomb or dolmen

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a prehistoric megalithic tomb typically having two large upright stones and a capstone

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dolmen, portal tomb

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: megalith, megalithic structure

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Celtic *krumbos Proto-Brythonic *krum Middle Welsh crwm Welsh crom Proto-Indo-European *pleth2-? Proto-Indo-European *pel-? Proto-Indo-European *pleh2-der. Proto-Indo-European *pl̥keh2der. Proto-Celtic *ɸlikkā Proto-Brythonic *llex Middle Welsh llech Welsh llech Welsh cromlechbor. English cromlech Borrowed from Welsh cromlech, from crom (the feminine singular form of crwm (“bent, bowed, curved”), ultimately from Proto-Celtic *krumbos (“bent, crooked”) and Proto-Germanic *krumpaz (“bent, crooked, curved”); further etymology uncertain) + llech (“flagstone, slab of stone”) (ultimately from Proto-Celtic *ɸlikkā (“(flat) stone”) and Proto-Indo-European *pleh2- (“flat”)). Sense 1 (“stone circle”) is from Breton cromlec'h, krommlec'h probably from Welsh cromlech: see above.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: կրոմլեխ (kromlex) — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Basque: cromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Breton: cromlec'h — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Catalan: cromlec — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Cornish: krommlegh — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Czech: kromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Esperanto: kromleĥo — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Estonian: kromlehh — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Finnish: cromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • French: cromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • French: cromlec'h — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Georgian: კრომლეხი (ḳromlexi) — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • German: Cromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • German: Kromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Greek: κρόμλεχ (krómlech) — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Italian: cromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Lithuanian: kromlechas — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Occitan: cromlec — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Polish: kromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Portuguese: cromeleque — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Russian: кро́млех (krómlex) — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Scottish Gaelic: cromleac — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Serbo-Croatian: кро̏млек — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Serbo-Croatian: кро̏млех — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Serbo-Croatian: krȍmlek — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Serbo-Croatian: krȍmleh — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Slovak: kromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Spanish: crómlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Spanish: crónlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir
  • Welsh: cromlech — synonym of dolmen (cognates) — see also dolmen, monolith, megalith, obelisk, menhir