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Cairn - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

A cairn is a human-made pile of stones, often used as a landmark, trail marker, or memorial. It serves practical or symbolic purposes in outdoor environments.

cairn

/kɛrn/ /keən/

Definition:

A mound of stones built as a memorial or landmark.

Synonyms:

pile, mound, heap, marker

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

pit, hole

Common Collocations:

stone cairn, trail cairn, summit cairn, ancient cairn, hiking cairn

Derivatives:

cairned, cairning

Usage Tips:

Use "cairn" to describe a stack of stones marking a path or commemorating an event.

Common Phrases:

leave no trace, follow the cairns, build a cairn

Etymology:

From Scottish Gaelic "càrn," meaning heap of stones.

Examples:

  • 1. The hikers built a cairn to mark the trailhead.
  • 2. We followed the cairns to stay on the path.
  • 3. A small cairn stood at the mountain’s summit.
  • 4. Ancient cairns often mark burial sites in Scotland.

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