cairn

noun

: a heap of stones piled up as a memorial or as a landmark
cairned adjective

Examples of cairn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Zoom out on the past year’s mountain of TV, and All Her Fault is one pebble in a cairn of series positioning their female characters against abusive lovers or uniting them against a common enemy. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025 Found around the perimeter ring, there are six additional cairns. Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025 Stone cairns, serpentine walls, earthen mounds, balance rocks, ancient spring wells, and interesting stone enclosures have been identified as potential early cultural evidence of pre-European native use. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2025 The way forward is often indiscernible, with trail markers like signs, cairns, and ribbons, few and far between. Olivia James, Outside Online, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cairn

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (Scots) carne, from Scottish Gaelic carn; akin to Old Irish & Welsh carn cairn

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cairn was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cairn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cairn. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

cairn

noun
ˈka(ə)rn How to pronounce cairn (audio)
ˈke(ə)rn
: a heap of stones piled up as a landmark or as a memorial

More from Merriam-Webster on cairn

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