cabin

play

noun cab·in \ ˈka-bən \

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

Weaver, his daughters and a friend holed up in the family’s cabin for 11 days before surrendering on Aug. 31, 1992.

— Washington Post, "25 years later, Ruby Ridge standoff inspires militia groups," 30 Aug. 2017
But then things take another surprising turn when another camper can be heard outside the cabin.

— laura bradley, vanityfair.com, "Keegan-Michael Key Crashes the Latest Fallon-Timberlake Bro-Down," 9 Aug. 2017
Prices dropped across all cabins, with business class worst hit as some premium travelers downgraded to coach with crude still in the doldrums.

— deena kamel, Bloomberg.com, "Etihad Has $1.87 Billion Loss in Worst Blow to Gulf Carriers," 27 July 2017
One witness told CBS News that passengers became aware of the murder when a young girl came running out of the cabin, saying her parents had been in a fight.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Man Arrested for Allegedly Murdering His Wife Aboard a Cruise Ship After She ‘Wouldn’t Stop Laughing’ at Him," 27 July 2017
Here lies the old foundation of a cabin, where its resident raised goats and made cheese circa 1938.

— bonnie tsui, New York Times, "At Berryessa National Monument, Wildflowers and Rebirth," 25 July 2017
Imagine owning a cluster of rustic A-frame cabins tucked deep in the Cascades.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "Scottish Lakes camp gets new owners, new name and year-round opening," 19 July 2017
There’s cabin compartments that are fully open to do fun science experiments and activities.

— lily oppenheimer, kansascity, "Lockheed jumbo jet lands in KC for conversion into STEM education lab for students," 17 July 2017
Attached to one of the beams is a dainty iron chandelier with curved arms and crystals dangling from them, a soft touch to its cabin-like architecture.

— madeleine winer, The Courier-Journal, "Tuscan lodge in Goshen pairs grandeur with comfort," 13 July 2017

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

shack, camp, hooch (or hootch) [slang], hovel, hut, hutch, hutment, shanty

Related Words

lean-to, shed; cot, cottage, lodge; cabana; bungalow, chalet; hogan, wickiup, wigwam; tent

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

play

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

play

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up cabin? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

cabin

Definition of cabin

From the M-W Editors

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

Learn More about cabin

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066