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.
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.