What does "cabin" mean?
A small dwelling characteristic of the frontier, especially when built from logs with simple tools and not constructed by professional builders, but by those who meant to live in it.
Cabin
/ˈkæbɪn/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small dwelling characteristic of the frontier, especially when built from logs with simple tools and not constructed by professional builders, but by those who meant to live in it.
- Grammar: cabin is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: accommodate, aeroplane, airplane, berth.
- Useful contrasts: apartment, evict, exterior.
- Usage evidence: The writer is living in a log cabin.
How to use "cabin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cabin" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cabin" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cabin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cabin" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cabin" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accommodate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cabin", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small dwelling characteristic of the frontier, especially when built from logs with simple tools and not constructed by professional builders, but by those who meant to live in it. US
"Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin."
- 2 the enclosed compartment of an aircraft or spacecraft where passengers are carried wordnet
- 3 A chalet or lodge, especially one that can hold large groups of people. informal
- 4 small room on a ship or boat where people sleep wordnet
- 5 A private room on a ship.
"the captain’s cabin"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a small house built of wood; usually in a wooded area wordnet
- 7 The interior of a boat, enclosed to create a small room, particularly for sleeping.
"Mr. Cooke had had a sloop yacht built at Far Harbor, the completion of which had been delayed, and which was but just delivered. […] The Maria had a cabin, which was finished in hard wood and yellow plush, and accommodations for keeping things cold."
- 8 The passenger area of an airplane.
- 9 The section of a passenger plane having the same class of service.
- 10 A signal box. informal
- 11 A small room; an enclosed place.
"So long in secret cabin there he held her captive."
- 12 A private office; particularly of a doctor, businessman, lawyer, or other professional. India
"There’s Kaul’s boss, the overweight owner of a pharmaceutical firm who spends his days wolfing down junk food in the privacy of his cabin."
Verb
- 1 To place in a cabin or other small space. transitive
- 2 confine to a small space, such as a cabin wordnet
- 3 To limit the scope of. broadly
"There was a time when this Court’s precedents may have portended the kind of First Amendment liability for purely private property owners that the majority spends so much time rejecting. […] But the Court soon stanched that trend. See Lloyd Corp. v. Tanner, 407 U. S. 551, 561–567 (1972) (cabining Marsh and refusing to extend Logan Valley); Hudgens v. NLRB, 424 U. S. 507, 518 (1976) (making clear that “the rationale of Logan Valley did not survive” Lloyd)."
- 4 To live in, or as if in, a cabin; to lodge. intransitive, obsolete
"I'll make you […] cabin in a cave."
Example
"The writer is living in a log cabin."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cabin"?
Common synonyms include: accommodate, aeroplane, airplane, berth, blockhouse, bottle.
How do you use "cabin" in a sentence?
The writer is living in a log cabin.
How do you pronounce "cabin"?
Pronounced /ˈkæbɪn/.
Etymology
From Middle English caban, cabane, from Old French cabane, from Medieval Latin capanna (“a cabin”); see further etymology there. Doublet of cabana and cabane.