Lake Dwellings
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Prehistoric human dwellings on certain lakes in Switzerland, Ireland, etc., built on piles at then* shallow edges.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Lake Dwellings” mean?
Prehistoric human dwellings on certain lakes in Switzerland, Ireland, etc., built on piles at then* shallow edges.
Is “Lake Dwellings” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.