Forms: 4–7 cabane, 5–8 caban, 5 kaban, 5–7 cabon, 6 cabban, -ane, -aine, -on, yn, caben, 6–8 cabbin, 7 cabben, cabbine, cabine, cabern, 7– cabin. [ME. cabane, a. F. cabane (= Pr., Pg. cabana, Sp. cabaña, Cat. cabanya, It. capanna):—late L. capanna, in Isidore, ‘tugurium parva casa est; hoc rustici capanna vocant’; in Reichenau glosses 8th cent. cabanna. Mod.F. has cabine from Eng. in sense 5.]
† 1. A temporary shelter of slight materials; a tent, booth, temporary hut. Obs.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3099. Cabanes coverede for kynges anoyntede With clothes of clere golde for knyghtez and oþer.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 148. They made with pretie boughs and twigs of trees, such little pretie lodgings as we call Cabens or Boothes.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., I. v. 287. Make me a willow Cabine at your gate.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Hist. Jam. IV., Wks. (1711), 76. Cabanes raised of Boughs of Trees and Reeds.
1857–69. Heavysege, Saul, 237.
| When from the wilderness there comes a blast, | |
| That casts my cabin of assurance down, | |
| And leaves me in the tempest. |
† b. spec. A soldier’s tent or temporary shelter.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 733. Tentez and othire toylez, and targez fulle ryche, Cabanes and clathe sokkes.
1553. Brende, Q. Curtius, B b j. There fell sodainlie a great storme … within their cabbaines, which so moche afflicted the Souldiours … that [etc.].
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., III. vii. The Courts of Princes … the Cabbins of Soldiers.
1653. Holcroft, Procopius, II. xxii. 67. The Persians … fell among their Cabbins, and were rifling the camp.
2. A permanent human habitation of rude construction. Applied esp. to the mud or turf-built hovels of slaves or impoverished peasantry, as distinguished from the more comfortable ‘cottage’ of working men, or from the ‘hut’ of the savage, or temporary ‘hut’ of travellers, explorers, etc.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 57. Caban, lytylle howse, pretoriolum, capana.
1566. Painter, Pal. Pleas., I. 98. He dwelt alone in a little cabane in the fieldes not farre from Athenes.
1570. Levins, Manip., 163. A cabbon, gurgustium.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1356/1. Being taken in his cabbin by one of the Irishrie, his head was cut off.
1618. Sir R. Boyle, in Lismore Papers (1886), I. 196. To give her a Room to bwyld her a cabben in.
1670. G. H., Hist. Cardinals, I. III. 65. Not a Mendicant … could be perswaded to leave his Cabane.
1691. Petty, Pol. Anat., 9. There be [in Ireland] 160,000 Cabins without Chimneys.
1729. Shelvocke, Artillery, IV. 255. The Cabbin of Romulus was only thatched with Straw.
a. 1745. Swift, Wks. (1841), II. 78. The wretches are forced to pay for a filthy cabin and two ridges of potatoes treble the worth.
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., II. 369. An extensive country covered with cabans.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Ireland, i. 1. A mud cabin here and there is the only vestige of human habitation.
1852. Mrs. Stowe (title), Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
b. Used rhetorically for ‘poor dwelling.’
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., I. v. (1616), 16. Possesse no gentlemen of our acquaintance, with notice of my lodging … Not that I need care who know it, for the Cabbin is conuenient.
1607. Dekker, Sir T. Wyatt, Wks. 1873, III. 101. A simple Cabin, for so great a Prince.
† 3. A cell: e.g., of an anchorite or hermit, in a convent or prison; a cell of a honeycomb. Obs.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. XII. 35. Clergy in to a caban crepte.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. I. 221. In the theatre … cabans and dennes [cellulæ mansionum].
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccliv. 329. They put hym in a Cabon and his chapelyne for to shryue hym.
c. 1530. More, De quat. Noviss., Wks. 84/2. The gailor … thrusteth your blode into some other caban.
1571. Hanmer, Chron. Irel. (1633), 57. Hee went into France, and made them Cabanes, after the Irish manner, in stead of Monasteries.
1611. Bible, Jer. xxxvii. 16. When Ieremiah was entred into the dungeon, and into the cabbins.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Countr. Farm, 322. [Bees] busie in making Combes, and building of little Cabbins.
† b. A small room, a bedroom, a boudoir. Obs.
1594. Carew, Tasso (1881), 38. Gay clothing, and close cabbanes eke she flyes.
1607. R. Wilkinson, Merchant-roy., 30. She that riseth to dinner … & for every fit of an idle feuer betakes her straight to her cabbin againe.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, I. 83. Thou shalt make Cabines in the Arke.
c. 1620. Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), 71. She steek’t her cabin doore.
† 4. A natural cave or grotto; the den or hole of a wild beast. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. III. 190. Ac þow … crope in to a kaban for colde of þi nailes.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 23. A cel or a cabban by nature formed, is vnder.
1589. Gold. Mirr. (1851), 5. Cabbins and caues in England and in Wales. Ibid., 14. The beastly belling bull, lay coucht in cabbin closse.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 358. It might resemble a very cabbin and caue indeed.
1794. S. Williams, Vermont, 98. The beavers … build cabins, or houses for themselves.
5. A room or compartment in a vessel for sleeping or eating in. An apartment or small room in a ship for officers or passengers.
1382. Wyclif, Ezek. xxvii. 6. Thi seetis of rowers … and thi litil cabans.
1483. Cath. Angl., 50. A Caban of cuke (coke A.); capana.
1530. Palsgr., 202/1. Cabbyn in a shyppe, cabain.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind., I. V. (Arb.), 86. Beholdinge … the toppe castell … the cabens, the keele.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. i. 15. Keepe your Cabines: you do assist the storme.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Sea-men, 10. The Captaines Cabben or great Cabben.
1718. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., II. lvi. 85. An English lady … desired me to let her go over with me in my cabin.
1748. Anson, Voy., I. iii. (ed. 4), 41. Orellana … drew towards the great cabbin.
1835. Sir J. Ross, N.-W. Pass., xvii. 259. They were taken into the cabin.
† b. A berth (in a ship). Hanging cabin: a hammock, cot. Obs.
1598. W. Phillips, Linschoten’s Trav. Ind., in Arb., Garner, III. 20. Each man his cabin to sleep in.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Sea-men, 11. A cabben, a hanging cabben, a Hamacke.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), III. I. 191. Captain Davis … was thrown out of his Cabbin.
1732. Lediard, Sethos, II. VII. 120. Cabbins hung upon palm-trees.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine, Cajutes, the cabins or bed-places … for the common sailors.
† 6. A litter. Obs.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 770. People flocking … some with beires, some with cabbins, some with carts … to fetch awaie the dead and the wounded.
a. 1631. Donne, Poems (1650), 143. Some coffin’d in their cabbins lie.
† 7. A (political) CABINET: hence cabin council, counsellor, signet. Obs.
1636. Featly, Clavis Myst., xiv. 193. They are made of the Cabin-Councell, and become leaders in our Vestries.
1643. True Informer, 2. Their Majesties Letters under the cabine Signet.
1644. Milton, Areop., Wks. 1738, I. 142. Haughtiness of Prelates and cabin Counsellors that usurp’d of late. Ibid. (1649), Eikon., iv. (1851), 364. Putting off such wholesome acts and councels, as the politic Cabin at Whitehall had no mind to. Ibid., xi. 425. To vindicate and restore the Rights of Parlament invaded by Cabin councels.
1676. W. Row, Contn. Blair’s Autobiog., xii. (1848), 430. A close cabin council plotting and contriving all things.
8. Comb. Chiefly in sense 5, as cabin-keeper, -passage, -passenger, -scuttle, -stairs, -window, etc.; cabin-parloured (having a parlour no bigger than a ship’s cabin); † cabin-bed, a berth. Also CABIN-BOY, -MATE.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), II. ii. 31. He lay in a *cabin-bed.
1807. Vancouver, Agric. Devon (1813), 389. *Cabin keepers to shipwrights.
1802. W. Taylor, in Robberds, Mem., I. 410. The squeezed, *cabin-parloured houselets of Dover.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., VII. i. (1849), 300. I took my passage in her—a *cabin-passage.
1760. Wesley, Jrnl., 24 Aug. Half … were *cabin passengers.
1851. H. Melville, Moby-Dick, xxix. 138. The silent steersman would watch the *cabin-scuttle.
1743. Fielding, Jon. Wild, III. vii. 323. Falling down the *cabbin stairs he dislocated his shoulder.
