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
Noun
The hamlets had sprung up to provide lodging and meals for weary samurai warriors, merchants, feudal lords and other travelers. Norma Meyer, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024 The mass killings in Daouda’s village and a nearby hamlet in February were among the deadliest in a decade of upheaval in Burkina Faso, a country torn apart by the Islamist insurgencies that have swept across parts of western Africa. Christiaan Triebert, New York Times, 11 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for hamlet 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hamlet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 May. 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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