cairn

noun

ˈkern 

: a heap of stones piled up as a memorial or as a landmark

cairned

ˈkernd 

adjective

Examples of cairn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Inside every cairn, the team unearthed countless human and animal bones, often fragmented. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025

The bones excavated at the site were returned to King William Island in 1994 and interred in a memorial cairn. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024

Ranger died in 1940 and was buried at the summit of Mount Hood, which is marked by a stone cairn and an engraved plaque. —Meira Gebel, Axios, 20 Sep. 2024

The trail can be confusing so keep an eye open for cairns and tree notches serving as trail markers. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024

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

Phrases Containing cairn

• cairn terrier

Rhymes for cairn

• bairn
• moderne
• relearn
• unlearn

Kids Definition

cairn

noun

ˈka(ə)rn 

ˈke(ə)rn

: a heap of stones piled up as a landmark or as a memorial