noun
a small mountain lake or pool, especially one in a cirque.
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English terne < Old Norse tjǫrn pond, pool
1300–50; Middle English terne < Old Norse tjǫrn pond, pool
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To tarn
00:10
Tarn
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
tarn (tɑːn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| a small mountain lake or pool | |
| [C14: of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse tjörn pool] | |
| Tarn (French tarn) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a department of S France, in Midi-Pyrénées region. Capital: Albi. Pop: 350 477 (2003 est). Area: 5780 sq km (2254 sq miles) |
| 2. | a river in SW France, rising in the Massif Central and flowing generally west to the Garonne River. Length: 375 km (233 miles) |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
tarn
1256, from O.N. tjorn "small mountain lake without tributaries," from P.Gmc. *terno, perhaps originally "water hole." A dialectal word popularized by the Lake poets.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
tarn  (tärn) Pronunciation Key
A small mountain lake, especially one formed as a glacier melts, filling a cirque with water. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Related Searches
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
