cairn

views updated May 18 2018

cairn / ke(ə)rn/ • n. 1. a mound of rough stones built as a memorial or landmark, typically on a hilltop or skyline. ∎  a prehistoric burial mound made of stones.2. (also cairn ter·ri·er) a small terrier of a breed with short legs, a longish body, and a shaggy coat.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

cairn

views updated May 18 2018

cairn pile of stones. XV. Earlier carn (cf. barn BAIRN) — Gael., OIr., W. carn heap of stones.
So cairngorm precious stone, named from a mountain (Gael. Carngorm ‘blue cairn’) where it is found.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

cairn

views updated May 23 2018

cairn. Tumulus of undressed stones, chamfered or solid, and usually of a sepulchral or commemorative character.

A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture JAMES STEVENS CURL

Cairn

views updated May 18 2018

Cairn

a pile of stones, usually erected to mark a spot as a memorial or to mark a cache of provisions, etc., 1535.

Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms

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