menhir
UK /ˈmɛnhɪə/ · US /ˈmɛnˌ(h)ɪ(ə)ɹ/ noun
Forms menhirs
- noun (archaeology) A single tall standing stone as a monument, especially one dating to prehistoric times.
Synonyms
Etymology
Either borrowed from French menhir, or from its etymon Breton maen-hir, compound of maen (“stone”) + hir (“long”). Compare with Welsh maen hir, and Cornish men hir.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A large stone set upright in olden times as a memorial or monument. Many, of unknown date, are found in Brittany and throughout Northern Europe.
Etymology [F. Armor. men stone + hir high.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “menhir”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details