menhir

[ men-hir ]

/ ˈmɛn hɪr /

an upright monumental stone standing either alone or with others, as in an alignment, found chiefly in Cornwall and Brittany.

Origin of menhir

1830–40; < Breton phrase men hir, equivalent to men stone + hir long

In many cases the menhir is surrounded by one or more rows of stones.

Rough Stone Monuments and Their Builders |T. Eric Peet
Then the mountain piper sunk down breathless at the foot of the Menhir.

Breton Legends |Anonymous
In the centre of this stands a granite pillar (Menhir) six or seven feet high.

Notes and Queries, Number 180, April 9, 1853 |Various
Two steps took me to the menhir, and I drew my seax that I might do as he asked me.

A Prince of Cornwall |Charles W. Whistler

Thus it is believed in many localities that a "menhir" in the neighbourhood turns on its axis at midnight.

Notes and Queries, Number 241, June 10, 1854 |Various

menhir

/ (ˈmɛnhɪə) /

a single standing stone, often carved, dating from the middle Bronze Age in the British Isles and from the late Neolithic Age in W Europe

C19: from Breton men stone + hir long