a department of S France, in Midi-Pyrénées region. Capital: Albi. Pop: 350 477 (2003 est). Area: 5780 sq km (2254 sq miles)
a river in SW France, rising in the Massif Central and flowing generally west to the Garonne River. Length: 375 km (233 miles)
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English terne, tarne, from Old Norse tjǫrn “pond, pool.” Tarn was originally restricted to northern English dialects (where the Danes settled) or in written works about northern England. Tarn entered mainstream English in the works of the Lake Poets ( def. )
A mountain pool that forms in a hollow scooped out by a glacier is called a tarn. Officially, tarns are smaller than lakes. Another name for a tarn is a corrie loch, from the Scottish Gaelic coire, or "pot," and loch, "lake." These glacier-formed pools are found all over the world, from New York's Adirondack Mountains to the Tatras Mountains in Slovakia. The word tarn comes from the Old Norse tjörn, "small mountain lake with no tributaries."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team were called to help a man who was reported to be unconscious at Grisedale Hause, near Grisedale Tarn in the Lake District.
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2024
Tarn and Zach also discuss the intricate details of the game and the gigantic number of narrative possibilities that players can experience.
From Slate • Feb. 26, 2023
"We must continue with the reforms," said Macron on Thursday, during a visit to the southern French region of Tarn.
From Reuters • Jun. 9, 2022
There, for several months, her father was part of a Jewish resistance movement, helping to ferry men and messages to units in the Tarn region.
From New York Times • May 23, 2022
Tarn, Mr., 4 excursion to Eagle Bay, 35 ascends Mount Tarn, 40, 42 interview with natives, 61 summit of Table Land, 111 Laredo Bay, 117 in Adelaide, 143, 149 with Patagonians, 151 signal-fire, guanacoes, 194.
From Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836 Volume I. - Proceedings of the First Expedition, 1826-1830 by Fitzroy, Robert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
