Definition of CAIRN

cairn

Meanings

Plural: cairns

Noun

  • a mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path
  • small rough-haired breed of terrier from Scotland
  • A rounded or conical heap of stones erected by early inhabitants of the British Isles, apparently as a sepulchral monument.
  • A pile of stones heaped up as a landmark, to guide travelers on land or at sea, or to arrest attention, as in surveying, or in leaving traces of an exploring party, etc.
  • A cairn terrier.

Origin / Etymology

From Scots cairn, from Scottish Gaelic càrn, from Old Irish carn, from Proto-Celtic *karnos, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- (“horn”).
Compare Welsh carn, Cornish carn. Doublet of carn and horn.

Synonyms

cairn terrier, See burial mound § Synonyms

Scrabble Score: 7

cairn is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
cairn is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
cairn is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

cairn is a valid Words With Friends word