Editing Monolith (section)

{{short description|Stone block made of one single piece; object made of one single rock piece}}
{{Other uses|Monolith (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
[[File:012 035 Ile Mingan Niapiscau.jpg|thumb|Niapiskau island, limestone monoliths, [[Gulf of St. Lawrence]], [[Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve]], [[Canada]]]]
[[File:Uluru, helicopter view, cropped.jpg|300px|thumb|[[Uluru]], [[Northern Territory]], [[Australia]], is often referred to as the biggest monolith. While the surrounding rocks were eroded, the rock survived as sandstone [[stratum|strata]] making up the surviving Uluru 'monolith'.]]
[[File:Monolithos 1.jpg|thumb|[[Monolithos, Greece|Monolithos fortress]] on [[Rhodes]], [[Greece]]]]
[[File:Brand hires trimmed.jpg|thumb|[[Landsat 7]] image [[Brandberg Mountain]], [[Namibia]]]]
[[File:Gávea.jpg|thumb|[[Pedra da Gávea|Gavea Rock]], a monolith next to the sea, near [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]]]]
A '''monolith''' is a geological feature consisting of a single massive [[rock (geology)|stone]] or rock, such as some [[mountain]]s. [[Erosion]] usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid [[igneous rock|igneous]] or [[metamorphic rock]]. Some monoliths are [[volcanic plug]]s, solidified lava filling the vent of an extinct [[volcano]].

In architecture, the term has considerable overlap with [[megalith]], which is normally used for [[prehistory]], and may be used in the contexts of [[rock-cut architecture]] that remains attached to solid rock, as in [[monolithic church]], or for exceptionally large stones such as [[obelisk]]s, statues, [[monolithic column]]s or large [[architrave]]s, that may have been moved a considerable distance after quarrying. It may also be used of large [[glacial erratic]]s moved by natural forces.

The word derives, via the [[Latin]] {{lang|la|monolithus}}, from the [[Ancient Greek]] word {{wikt-lang|grc|μονόλιθος}} ({{transliteration|grc|monólithos}}), from {{wikt-lang|grc|μόνος}} ({{transliteration|grc|mónos}}) meaning "one" or "single" and {{wikt-lang|grc|λίθος}} ({{transliteration|grc|líthos}}) meaning "stone".