hamlet

1 of 2

noun (1)

ham·​let ˈham-lət How to pronounce hamlet (audio)
: a small village

Hamlet

2 of 2

noun (2)

Ham·​let ˈham-lət How to pronounce Hamlet (audio)
: a legendary Danish prince and hero of Shakespeare's play Hamlet

Examples of hamlet in a Sentence

Noun (1) she always longed to return to the quiet hamlet where she had been born
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Even Winston Churchill, who developed a flair for painting in the South of France, fell for the charms of this fairytale hamlet: it is widely believed that a canvas depicting a street corner with a fountain was painted by the statesman here in the mid-1940s. Alexandra Zagalsky, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024 The area has long been divided between the liberal university town of State College, which anchors the region, and the conservative hamlets that surround it. Chris Megerian, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024 Only 29 original descendants remain in the small hamlet known as Hogg Hummock or Hog Hammock, where their enslaved ancestors settled after being forcibly brought there in 1802. Ray Sanchez, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024 In a steady winter drizzle 30 minutes outside Bordeaux, the tiny hamlet of Pichou appears abandoned save for a rugged-looking fellow in overalls and wellies, with the long, flowing hair of a romance-novel cover model, plowing a field of twigs behind a strapping white horse. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hamlet 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French hamelet, diminutive of ham village, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English hām village, home

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hamlet was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hamlet

Cite this Entry

“Hamlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hamlet. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hamlet

noun
ham·​let ˈham-lət How to pronounce hamlet (audio)
: a small village

More from Merriam-Webster on hamlet

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