hunebed

• huinebed (obsolete)
• hunnebed

From hune (“giant”) +‎ bed (“bed”), roughly meaning "a bed (of stones) built by giants". Cognate to and probably formed after German Hünenbett (“dolmen”).

The alternative form hunnebed (“dolmen”) also exists, which is a conflation with the word Hunnen (“the Huns, an Asian tribe which lived in Europe and Central Asia between the 1st century AD and the 7th century”). As a consequence preference is given to the etymologically correct hunebed.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦynəbɛt/, /ˈɦʏnəbɛt/

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hunebed n (plural hunebedden)

1. (archaeology) dolmen