Definitions from Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit
Ten words from Tolkien’s universe—each defined through the Lomar dictionary with “Teen” mode. From “Annon” to “Tumladen,” every entry shows how Lomar approaches meaning: with clarity, context, and respect for both language and imagination. The goal is simple—to help readers understand each word fully and return to the story enriched, not overwhelmed. Even in worlds of fantasy, Lomar treats every term with the same precision it brings to science, art, and everyday speech.
Annon
1. noun (fantasy, The Lord of the Rings) Ancient or poetic word meaning "gate" or "door" in the language used by elves (Sindarin).
Example 1: The hidden annon kept the entrance to the Dwarves' underground city safe.
Example 2: In the map from The Lord of the Rings, you can find the word annon marking a secret doorway.
Etymology
"Annon" comes from the Sindarin language, which is one of the Elvish languages created by J.R.R. Tolkien for his Middle-earth stories like The Lord of the Rings. In Sindarin, annon means "gate" or "door."
Cram
1. noun (fantasy, The Lord of the Rings) A type of plain, long-lasting bread made by the Men of Lake-town in Middle-earth. It is used for travel because it does not spoil easily and fills you up quickly, but it does not taste very good.
Example 1: The travelers ate cram on their journey across the wild lands, even though it was tasteless.
Example 2: Bilbo and the dwarves received cram as food before they continued their adventure.
Etymology
The word "cram" in The Lord of the Rings was made up by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is similar to the English word "cram," which means to fill something tightly, perhaps because cram bread is very filling. Tolkien used this word to name a simple, filling food invented for his stories.
Fellbeast
1. noun (fantasy, Lord of the Rings) A Fellbeast is a huge, scary, flying creature used by the Nazgûl (Ringwraiths) as a mount in J.R.R. Tolkien’s "The Lord of the Rings" stories. It looks a bit like a dragon, but has no feathers or scales, and has a long neck and sharp teeth.
Example 1: The Nazgûl rode on the back of a Fellbeast during the battle.
Example 2: The Fellbeast attacked the city from the sky, causing fear among the people.
Etymology
The word "Fellbeast" comes from Tolkien’s invented words. "Fell" is an old word meaning "fierce," "deadly," or "evil," and "beast" just means "animal." Together, "Fellbeast" means a very dangerous or evil creature.
Gorgoth
1. noun (fantasy, Tolkien) A large, empty, dark, and rocky area in Mordor, the evil land in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" books. It is where Mount Doom is found.
Example 1: Frodo and Sam crossed the Gorgoroth plain on their way to Mount Doom.
Example 2: The Gorgoroth region was filled with ash and barely any life could survive there.
Etymology
The word “Gorgoroth” was created by J.R.R. Tolkien. He used old-style sounds and languages to invent names for places in his fantasy world, and this name was meant to sound harsh and evil, fitting the land of Mordor.
Hayrmen
1. noun (fantasy literature, specifically Tolkien's universe) The Quenya name for the cardinal direction "south" in the languages created by J.R.R. Tolkien for his fictional world of Middle-earth.
Example 1: In Tolkien's stories, "Hyarmen" is used to mean "south" in the Elvish language Quenya.
Example 2: The city of Hyarmentir is located in the southern part of the map, named using the word "Hyarmen."
Etymology
"Hyarmen" comes from the invented language Quenya, created by author J.R.R. Tolkien. In Quenya, "Hyarmen" means "south." These languages are used for names and places in Tolkien's stories about Middle-earth. The root "hya-" means "south" or "left" in Tolkien's own language system.
Lhûn
1. proper noun (Fantasy / Tolkien's Middle-earth) The name Lhûn refers to a river and sometimes the surrounding region in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth. It is also called the River Lune in English versions of the text.
Example 1: The elves built their harbor at the mouth of the River Lhûn.
Example 2: Many travelers crossed the Lhûn as they journeyed to the Grey Havens.
Etymology
The word Lhûn was invented by J.R.R. Tolkien for his stories set in Middle-earth. It was likely inspired by real river names and by old languages, but it has no real-world origin apart from Tolkien's writing. In English versions, Lhûn is translated as Lune.
Mithril
1. noun (fantasy literature) A fictional metal in J.R.R. Tolkien's books that is very light, very strong, and shiny like silver.
Example 1: Frodo's armor was made of mithril, which saved his life.
Example 2: Everyone in Middle-earth wanted mithril because it was rarer than gold.
Etymology
The word “mithril” was created by J.R.R. Tolkien for his Middle-earth stories. It comes from the Elvish language he invented, where “mith” means “grey” and “ril” means “glitter” or “sparkle,” so mithril means “grey-sparkle” or “sparkling grey.” Now, the word is used in other fantasy stories and games to mean a special, magical metal.
Narmacil
1. noun (fantasy, Tolkien) The name of two kings of Gondor, a kingdom in J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth.
Example 1: Narmacil I was a king of Gondor in Tolkien's stories.
Example 2: In the book, Narmacil II led his army against invaders from the east.
Etymology
"Narmacil" is a name created by J.R.R. Tolkien for his Middle-earth stories. It likely uses Elvish-style words he invented, but its exact meaning is not fully explained by Tolkien. In Quenya, one of Tolkien's Elvish languages, "nar" can mean "fire," and "macil" means "sword." So, Narmacil could mean "fire sword" or "flame sword."
Romen
1. noun (The Lord of the Rings) "Romen" is an Elvish (Quenya) word from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and other writings. It means "east" in the language of the High Elves.
Example 1: The tower was called Rómenost because it faced the east.
Example 2: In Elvish, "Rómen" means the direction where the sun rises.
Etymology
"Romen" comes from the fictional language Quenya, created by Tolkien. In this language, it means "east." Quenya is based on real languages like Finnish and Latin, and "romen" is used in place names, such as "Rómenna" (meaning "eastward"). It is not a word from English but from Tolkien's own invented language.
Tumladen
1. noun "Tumladen" is the name of a wide green valley hidden in the mountains, where the secret city of Gondolin was built.
Example 1: The hidden city of Gondolin was built in the valley called Tumladen.
Example 2: In the stories, Tumladen was surrounded by high mountains and could not be seen from outside.
Etymology
"Tumladen" comes from Tolkien's invented language, Sindarin, which is an Elvish language in his stories. The word is made from "tum," meaning "valley," and "laden," meaning "wide" or "plain." It was created by Tolkien and used only in his Middle-earth writings.