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
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dōl′mən
dŏl′-
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈdəʊ̯l.mən/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈdɒl-/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈdɔːl-/older
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈdɔl-/without the cot–caught merger
Canada:/ˈdɒl-/without the cot–caught merger
Australian:/ˈdəʉ̯l.mən/
Australian:/ˈdɔl-/
New-Zealand:/ˈdɐʉ̯l.mən/
New-Zealand:/ˈdɒl-/
Scotland:/ˈdol.mən/
Scotland:/ˈdɔl-/
rhymes with -əʊlmən
rhymes with -ɒlmən
homophone: dolman
1
noun
Meaning 1
A 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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
Qualifier: strictly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cromlech, portal tomb, quoit
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any megalithic tomb, including passage graves and wedge tombs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
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: cromlech, portal tomb
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: megalith, megalithic structure
History
Etymology
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.
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
դոլմեն
(dolmen)
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Basque:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Basque:
harrespil
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Basque:
mairu-baratze
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Basque:
trikuharri
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Breton:
liac'hven
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Breton:
liac'h
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Breton:
taol-vaen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Catalan:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Chinese Mandarin:
石棚
(shípéng)
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Chinese Mandarin:
石棚墓
(shípéngmù)
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Chinese Mandarin:
支石墓
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Cornish:
krommlegh
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Czech:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Dutch:
hunebed
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Finnish:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Finnish:
dolmeeni
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
French:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Galician:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Galician:
arca
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Galician:
anta
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Galician:
forno
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
German:
Dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
German:
Hünenbett
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
German:
Hünengrab
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
German:
Hünenstein
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Icelandic:
jötunstóll
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Icelandic:
steindys
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Irish:
liagchiorcal
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Japanese:
支石墓
(shisekibo)
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Korean:
고인돌
(goindol)
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Mongolian:
дольмен
(dolʹmen)
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Norman:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Norman:
pouquelaye
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Polish:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Portuguese:
dólmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Russian:
дольме́н
(dolʹmén)
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Scottish Gaelic:
cromleac
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Spanish:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Swedish:
dös
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Swedish:
stendös
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Turkish:
dolmen
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
Welsh:
cromlech
— tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones
