cairn

Also carn

[kairn]

noun

1. a heap of stones set up as a landmark, monument, tombstone, etc.

cairn

/ kɛən /

noun

1. a mound of stones erected as a memorial or marker

2. Also called: cairn terrier. a small rough-haired breed of terrier originally from Scotland

Other Word Forms

• cairned adjective
• cairny adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cairn¹

First recorded in 1525–35; earlier carn, from Scots Gaelic: “pile of stones”; perhaps akin to horn

Word History and Origins

Origin of cairn¹

C15: from Gaelic carn

Example Sentences

Inevitable are thoughts of ancient Stonehenge, or perhaps primordial cairns marking trails or burial grounds in premodern societies.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

New spirit springs are locked by hidden stone cairns, which I’ve wasted an embarrassing amount of time trying to root out.

Read more on New York Times

A special act of remembrance is being held at a memorial cairn at the crash site on Sunday afternoon.

Read more on BBC

The trail was marked with rock cairns, Frye said.

Read more on Seattle Times

The researchers found many cairns – piles of rocks meant to show travelers the way.

Read more on NewsForKids.net

Related Words

• gravestone 
• headstone 
• marker 
• masterpiece 
• mausoleum 
• pillar 
• shrine 
• slab 
• statue 
• stele 
• stone 
• tablet 
• testament 
• tomb 
• tombstone 
• tribute 

When To Use

What does cairn mean?

A cairn is a pile of stones set up as a marker, monument, or memorial of some kind.Cairns are sometimes used to mark points along hiking trails. This usually takes the form of a small pile of rocks or several stones stacked on top of each other.The word cairn is also used in the context of archaeology, in which it usually refers to a large pile of stones that marks some kind of significant site, often a burial site. Such cairns were sometimes used in areas with rocky soil not suitable for traditional burial.Example: The cairn at the summit of the trail has continued to grow as hikers have added rocks to it.