cairngorm

American

[kairn-gawrm] / ˈkɛərnˌgɔrm /

noun

smoky quartz.

cairngorm British

/ ˌkernˈɡɒrm, ˈkɛənˌɡɔːm /

noun

Also called: smoky quartz. a smoky yellow, grey, or brown variety of quartz, used as a gemstone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cairngorm

1785–95; short for Cairngorm stone, i.e., stone from Cairngorm Mountains

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Cairngorm Mountain, near Aviemore, said it has had 23,000 skiers since opening on 21 November.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

Because of the south-easterly wind direction, places like Aultbea lie in the lee of the Cairngorm mountains.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Aviemore has also had below the average as it has been very sheltered from the prevailing south-east winds by the Cairngorm mountains.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

He had planned to ski Y Gulley or Diagonal Gulley from the Cairngorm Plateau.

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2024

She was 3000 feet above sea level, but between the Tay and the Dee, the Cairngorm Mountains rise higher than that.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023