Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dolmen

/ˈdoʊ̯l.mən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.85 in modern English

Syllables: dol-men
IPA: /ˈdoʊ̯l.mən/

9

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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.

noun

Any megalithic tomb, including passage graves and wedge tombs.

Example Sentences

"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."

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.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: dolmen, taol, tolmen

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈdoʊ̯l.mən/
British English: /ˈdəʊ̯l.mən/

Inflected Forms

dolmens (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

cairn menhir

Synonyms

cromlech portal tomb quoit

Homonyms

dolman

Questions

How do you pronounce dolmen?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdoʊ̯l.mən/.
What does dolmen mean?: 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.
Where does dolmen come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce dolmen

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dolmen”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdoʊ̯l.mən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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