English Explanatory Dictionary

cairn

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A rounded or conical heap of stones erected by early inhabitants of the British Isles, apparently as a sepulchral monument.
  2. A pile of stones heaped up as a landmark, to guide travelers on land or at sea, or to arrest attention, as in surveying, or in leaving traces of an exploring party, etc.
  3. A cairn terrier.

Pronunciation

/kɛən/ /kɛ(ə)ɹn/ en-us-cairn.ogg /keːn/ /keən/ /kiən/ /keɹn/ /kɜː(ɹ)n/

Word forms

cairn cairns

Etymology

From Scots cairn, from Scottish Gaelic càrn, from Old Irish carn, from Proto-Celtic *karnos, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- (“horn”). Compare Welsh carn, Cornish carn. Doublet of carn and horn.

Synonyms

See burial mound § Synonyms

Derived words

cairned cairnless cairnlike cairn terrier Cairn Water Cairnwood cairny Clava cairn Tate's Cairn
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