A cabin is a small, simple house, usually made of wood and often built in rural or wilderness areas. Picture a cozy wooden building in the woods, near a lake, or up in the mountains where a family might spend a vacation. Cabins typically have fewer rooms and simpler construction than regular houses. Many cabins were originally built by settlers or pioneers who needed quick, practical shelter using materials they could find nearby, especially logs.

The most famous type is the log cabin, made by stacking logs horizontally and notching them at the corners so they fit together tightly. Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky, and these sturdy structures helped American pioneers establish homes as they moved westward across the continent.

Today, people often use cabins as vacation homes for hiking, fishing, or simply getting away from city life. The word suggests something rustic and close to nature, even when modern cabins have electricity and running water.

The word also means a room or compartment on a ship or airplane. Passengers stay in cabins during a cruise, and airplane cabin crew help travelers during flights. In this sense, a cabin is simply an enclosed space within a larger vehicle.