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 According to the park service, cairns are most commonly used to designate hiking routes. Alexandra E. Petri, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2023 There are many kinds of historical stone features – waste piles, cairns, scatters, lines, kilns, gravestones, cobbles, patios and more. Robert M. Thorson, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2023 It was replaced with the current cement cairn in 1926. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2023 Typically cairns should be assembled only by rangers and trail workers, according to the park service. Alexandra E. Petri, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2023 Above 13,000 feet, the trail disappears, turning the final push into a steep, tortuous slog up loose scree guided only by cairns — stone towers left by previous climbers to mark the way. Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2023 Previously, researchers had found piles of loose rock, known as cairns, on the southwestern part of Jomfruland. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Oct. 2023 Additionally, the guidelines state that people should not build their own cairns out of the nearby rocks on the trail. Kate Perez, USA TODAY, 13 July 2023 Some parkgoers have been stacking up large rock towers, called cairns, which NPS officials say go against Leave No Trace ethics meant to reduce humans’ effects on the environment. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cairn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near cairn

Cite this Entry

“Cairn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cairn. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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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