A cairn is a pile of stones which marks a boundary, a route across rough ground, or the top of a mountain. A cairn is sometimes also built in memory of someone.
cairn in British English
(kɛən)
noun
1.
a mound of stones erected as a memorial or marker
2. Also called: cairn terrier
a small rough-haired breed of terrier originally from Scotland
Word origin
C15: from Gaelic carn
cairn in American English
(kɛrn)
noun
a conical heap of stones built as a monument or landmark
Derived forms
cairned
adjective
Word origin
Scot < Gael carn, an elevation < IE base *ker-n-, highest part of the body, horn, hence tip, peak > L cornu, horn, extremity, summit
Examples of 'cairn' in a sentence
cairn
Finally make your way to the summit cairn, with its nearby shelter.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He was always surrounded by cairn terriers, presenting their puppies to his mistresses.