cabin

noun cab·in \ ˈka-bən \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of cabin

1 a (1) : a private room on a ship or boat

(2) : a compartment below deck on a boat used for living accommodations

b : the passenger or cargo compartment of a vehicle (such as an airplane or automobile)

c : the crew compartment of an exploratory vehicle (such as a spacecraft)

2 : a small one-story dwelling usually of simple construction

3 chiefly British : cab 3

See cabin defined for English-language learners

See cabin defined for kids

Examples of cabin in a Sentence

a cabin in the woods
Don't unbuckle your seat belt until the flight attendant says it is safe to move around the cabin.

Recent Examples of cabin from the Web

Mukluk cabin will be on the right at the top of hill after the fork, about ¾ of a mile from the entrance.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Killingly Edition," 17 Apr. 2018
Until there was a saw mill, there would be no lumber available, but with mountain winter already upon them, those first settlers needed shelter at once, and log cabins were the answer.

— arthur hart, idahostatesman, "Idaho’s mining towns had some interesting saloon names, fleeting businesses, tooth decay | Idaho Statesman," 7 Apr. 2018
Even the Hawaiian broker seemed baffled, pointing out that log cabins aren’t exactly typical in a tropical climate.

— ronda kaysen, New York Times, "Who Doesn’t Love to Hate-Watch HGTV?," 6 Apr. 2018
The styling at the front uses design philosophies called Under Priority Catamaran and Keen Look; the cabin is Sensuous Minimalism.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "Crafty new engine tech, two electric SUVs among best at New York Auto Show," 30 Mar. 2018
But, Alderman said, that log cabin still can be useful as a way for that community to identify itself with Lincoln's legacy and to have a role in retelling his story.

— frank witsil, Detroit Free Press, "Will house tied to Rosa Parks find its way back to Detroit?," 21 Mar. 2018
The cabins are spartan, and none is larger than 120 square feet.

— rosemary mcclure, latimes.com, "Escape for a weekend to a Mexican expedition cruise brimming with sea vistas and animal antics," 15 Mar. 2018
If your pet must travel, experts have several recommendations: — The cabin is safer than the cargo hold.

— david koenig, BostonGlobe.com, "United says flight attendant didn’t know there was a puppy inside a passenger’s bag before it died," 14 Mar. 2018
The cabin was actually a dog house currently unavailable for rent.

— samantha swindler, OregonLive.com, "Would-be renter leaves beer in cabin that's really a dog house: Forest Grove police log," 12 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cabin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cabin

Middle English cabane, from Medieval French, from Old Occitan cabana hut, from Medieval Latin capanna

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

cabin Synonyms

Synonyms

bay, cell, chamber, compartment, cube, cubicle;

Related Words

cubbyhole, pigeonhole;

alcove, niche, nook, recess;

cabinet, drawer, locker;

cavity, hole, hollow;

booth, box, crib, loge, stall;

bunker, crypt, vault;

Other Aeronautics/Aerospace Terms

airway, apron, corridor, dirigible, fishtail, flat-hat, vector

cabin

verb

Definition of cabin

intransitive verb

: to live in or as if in a cabin

transitive verb

: confine, restrain

significantly cabins the discretion of administrators
—A. M. Dershowitz

First Known Use of cabin

1586

CABIN Defined for English Language Learners

cabin

noun

Definition of cabin for English Language Learners

: a small, simple house made of wood
: a room that you can sleep in on a ship or boat
: the part of an airplane in which the passengers sit

CABIN Defined for Kids

cabin

noun cab·in \ ˈka-bən \

Definition of cabin for Students

1 : a small simple dwelling usually having only one story

a log cabin

2 : a private room on a ship

3 : a place below deck on a small boat for passengers or crew

4 : a part of an airplane for cargo, crew, or passengers

Learn More about cabin

See words that rhyme with cabin Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cabin Spanish Central: Translation of cabin Nglish: Translation of cabin for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cabin for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cabin

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cabin

Definition of cabin

Examples of cabin in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cabin from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cabin

cabin Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Aeronautics/Aerospace Terms

cabin

Definition of cabin

First Known Use of cabin

Phrases Related to CABIN

Related Phrases

CABIN Defined for English Language Learners

cabin

Definition of cabin for English Language Learners

CABIN Defined for Kids

cabin

Definition of cabin for Students

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