cabin

American  

[kab-in] / ˈkæb ɪn /

noun

1. a small house or cottage, usually of simple design and construction.

   He was born in a cabin built of rough logs.

   Synonyms:

   cottage, shack, shanty, cot

2. an enclosed space for more or less temporary occupancy, as the living quarters in a trailer or the passenger space in a cable car.

3. the enclosed space for the pilot, cargo, or especially passengers in an air or space vehicle.

4. an apartment or room in a ship, as for passengers.

5. cabin class.

6. (in a naval vessel) living accommodations for officers.

   Synonyms:

   compartment

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adverb

1. in cabin-class accommodations or by cabin-class conveyance.

   to travel cabin.

verb (used without object)

1. to live in a cabin.

   They cabin in the woods on holidays.

verb (used with object)

1. to confine; enclose tightly; cramp.

cabin British  

/ ˈkæbɪn /

noun

1. a small simple dwelling; hut

2. a simple house providing accommodation for travellers or holiday-makers at a motel or holiday camp

3. a room used as an office or living quarters in a ship

4. a covered compartment used for shelter or living quarters in a small boat

5. (in a warship) the compartment or room reserved for the commanding officer

6. another name for signal box

7. 1. the enclosed part of a light aircraft in which the pilot and passengers sit

   2. the part of an airliner in which the passengers are carried

   3. the section of an aircraft used for cargo

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verb

1. to confine in a small space

Other Word Forms

• uncabined adjective

Etymology

Origin of cabin

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English cabane, from Middle French, from Old Provençal cabana, from Late Latin capanna, of uncertain, perhaps pre-Latin origin; spelling with “i” perhaps by influence of French cabine ( cabinet )

Explanation

A small wooden hut or cottage can be called a cabin, especially if it's in a remote or wooded place. Your grandfather's cabin on a lake might be your favorite place to visit in the summer. You might dream of living in a cabin deep in the forest, or on the edge of a mountain. Another kind of cabin is a small compartment or room, particularly one on a ship or an airplane. If you have "cabin fever," it means you're restless and cranky after being stuck in a small space for too long. The word comes from a Late Latin root, capanna, "hut."

Example Sentences

Amongst some of the most notable: "We even have a cabin in the form of a dragon's eye, two UFOs and two woodland 'conkers'"

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Departures from Lufthansa's Cityline subsidiaries at seven further airports are also part of the cabin crew strike call.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Hours after that chocolate spread bobbed through the cabin, the Artemis II crew disappeared behind the moon and briefly lost contact with society.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

“I was going for a log cabin feel,” she states.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

As they walked away from the cabin, they saw something coming toward them, glowing like foxfire out in the piney woods.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Related Words

• box
• camp
• chalet
• compartment
• cottage
• home
• hut
• lodge
• room
• shack
• shanty
• shed
• shelter