ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cabin

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈkæbən// UK //kˈæbɪn// cab·in Archaic General-service Informal

n. a small room where you sleep on a ship or a plane. It can also mean a simple wooden house in the woods or mountains.

n. an enclosed compartment for passengers or crew on a ship or aircraft; alternatively, a small, roughly built wooden dwelling.


SIMPLE

The flight attendant walked through the cabin to check our seatbelts.

CONTEXTUAL

We spent the weekend at a remote cabin in the mountains to get away from the city noise.

COMPLEX

Modern aircraft cabins are pressurized to maintain a comfortable environment for passengers even when the plane reaches its maximum cruising altitude.

Origin

From Middle English caban, cabane, from Old French cabane, from Medieval Latin capanna (“a cabin”); see further etymology there. Doublet of cabana and cabane.

Usage

Commonly used in compound nouns like 'log cabin' or 'cabin crew'.

© 2026 English Reference