cairn

noun

Definition of cairnnext
as in pile
a small quantity of stones heaped together that usually marks a place A cairn of loose stones marked the site.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cairn Some are surrounded by miniature fields, identifiable by alignments of boulders or cairns that were heaped up when the land was cleared of stones. — Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026 The Park Service recommends that people not disturb, knock down or add to cairns, though some parks caution visitors not to rely on them as official pathways. — Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026 Above the glacial lake Ullswater, prehistoric cairns and burial mounds dot the high moorland, including the Cockpit Stone Circle, which spans 90 feet. — Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025 Young Hopi men traditionally descended the rugged Salt Trail to the Little Colorado and Sípàapuni, contributing rocks to a cairn that still stands along the route and gathering salt to bring home. — Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cairn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cairn
  1. pile
  2. mound
  3. stack
  4. mountain
Noun
  • The government still has not come up with a solution to the mountainous piles of rotting garbage that accumulate on the streets for months.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Cole went online, bought Steiffs by the piles, and lined the shelves of King’s bedroom.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of pile
Noun
  • The grounds crew spent a few minutes working on the mound before the bottom of the fourth.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Ohtani had last thrown off the mound six days prior, in a live batting practice session last Saturday.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of mound
Noun
  • From Mobile Apps to Full-Stack AI Since its founding in 2014, Mobcoder has evolved alongside changes in software development, expanding from a mobile app development company into a global full-stack AI development partner.
    — Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Her existence is solitary by design, freeing her up to disappear into her studies at all hours of the night, the doors of every institution seemingly always ready to welcome her into its stacks and viewing stations and leather reading chairs.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of stack
Noun
  • The Chinese state news agency Xinhua, citing the country’s water resources ministry, said a new lake formed after Wednesday’s floods high in the mountains had largely drained.
    — Victoria Milko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Some thirty thousand tourists visited annually to soak in the mountain’s mineral springs and sip from a geyser of warm fizzy water.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of mountain

Browse Nearby Words

caïques
cairn
cairns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cairn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cairn. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cairn

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cairn

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