monolith Hear it!

monolith Definition

mono·lith (män′ə lit̸h′)

noun

  1. a single large block or piece of stone, as in architecture or sculpture
  2. something made of a single block of stone, as an obelisk
  3. something like a monolith in size, unity of structure or purpose, unyielding quality

Etymology: Fr monolithe < L monolithus < Gr monolithos, made of one stone < monos, single (see mono-) + lithos, stone

monolith Related Forms

mon′o·lith′ic adjective mon′o·lith′·ism′ noun

monolith Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • know: I had never seen it before and somehow I knew this weedy monolith must mark the lair of Decay.
  • see: Seeing the whole monolith was truly awesome in the best sense of the word.
  • carve: Apart from this, the act of hammering and carving these strange monoliths also injects a form of energy which will be discussed later.
  • discover: Weren't we supposed to be discovering strange monoliths on the moon by this stage - there goes Arthur C. Clarke's scientific credibility!

Adjective modifier

  • giant: The people quite rightly mistrust the giant bureaucratic monolith which is Brussels.
  • concrete: At one point, quite unsigned, by a Sustrans marker, is a big concrete monolith.
  • huge: You will arrive at a huge art decor monolith.
  • massive: In Orkney, massive monoliths are dragged many miles from different sources to compose a circle.
  • ancient: A very ancient monolith in the graveyard is inscribed in Latin and is of archeological interest.
  • black: Then, one day, a black monolith appears.

Modifies a noun

  • tin: Samples were taken for pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating using monolith tins ( Figs 5 and 6 ).
  • marker: The junction is marked by a monolith marker stone.
  • stone: The junction is marked by a monolith marker stone.
  • sample: Nineteen samples were taken with additional monolith samples added from the area adjacent to the river.

Noun used with modifier

  • granite: Brandberg Mountain is an ancient Bushman spiritual site and tonight we will sleep under the shadow of this giant granite monolith.
  • sandstone: This is a giant sandstone monolith rising nearly 400 meters above the surrounding desert.
  • stone: It's a look of bemused wonder mirrored only by the enigmatic stone monoliths of Easter Island.
  • rock: Active volcanoes, ice fluted pyramids and immense rock monoliths are just a few examples of what this fantastic continent has to offer.
  • limestone: The two blue limestone monoliths dominate the domestic setting in the Glebelands area.
  • slate: A slate monolith was very generously donated by McAlpine Slate Ltd. from the Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda.