Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAB'IN, n. [Fr. cabane, a cabin, a cottage; caban, a cloke; It. capanna, a cottage; Sp. and Port. cabana, a hut or cottage; Ir. caban; W. caban, from cab, a hut, cot, or booth made in the form of a cone, with rods set in the ground and tied at the top; Gr. καπανη, from καπη, a stable or inclosed place.]

1. A small room; an inclosed place. – Spenser.
2. A cottage; a hut or small house. – Swift.
3. A tent; a shed; any covered place for a temporary residence. – Fairfax.
4. An apartment in a ship for officers and passengers. In large ships there are several cabins, the principal of which is occupied by the commander. In small vessels, there is one cabin in the stern for the accommodation of the officers and passengers. The bed-places in ships are also called cabins. – Encyc. Mar. Dict.