What does dalle mean?
A dalle is a flat slab of stone used for paving floors, paths, and courtyards, much like a flagstone. The word comes from French, where it remains the ordinary term for such slabs, but in English it is uncommon except in one well-established borrowing: 'dalle de verre' ('slab of glass'), the technique of setting thick chunks of coloured glass into a matrix of concrete or resin. Developed by European artists in the early twentieth century, dalle de verre produces windows of remarkable depth and luminosity, and the term appears regularly in writing about modern church architecture and stained glass. Outside these specialist contexts, readers are most likely to meet 'dalle' in translations from French or in historical descriptions of paved surfaces. Because of its similarity to the English word 'dale' — a valley — the two are occasionally confused, though they share nothing in meaning.
A flat stone slab or flagstone used in paving or flooring.
"Ancient dalles still pave the market square."
Rare in general English; mostly found in architectural or translated contexts.
In the phrase 'dalle de verre', a thick slab of coloured glass set in concrete or resin to form a window or panel.
"The artist favoured dalle de verre for its bold, jewel-like effect."
Used as an uncountable mass noun when referring to the technique itself.
The plural follows regular English patterns; the singular 'dalle' is itself already a plural-like form in some French-derived contexts, so writers should confirm number against context.
"The workers hauled heavy dalles across the site to pave the terrace."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dalle
The word was borrowed from French 'dalle', meaning a flagstone or paving slab, where it has been in use since the Middle Ages. Its further origin is uncertain, though it may derive from a Germanic source. English adopted the word sparingly, chiefly through architectural vocabulary, and its most durable foothold is the phrase 'dalle de verre', associated with the slab-glass technique pioneered in France in the early twentieth century.
How dalle is actually used
'Dalle' on its own is rare in English and carries a technical, architectural flavour; most general readers will encounter it only within the fixed French phrase 'dalle de verre', which is standard in discussions of twentieth-century stained glass.
Easily confused with dalle
A 'dale' is a valley (as in Yorkshire place names), while a 'dalle' is a stone or glass slab used in building.