yarn en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- (US) audio
- /jɑɹn/ (US)
- yän (Received-Pronunciation)
- yärn (US)
- /jɑːn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English yern, yarn, from the Old English ġearn (“yarn, spun wool”), from Proto-West Germanic *garn, from Proto-Germanic *garną (“yarn”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰorn-, *ǵʰerH- (“tharm, guts, intestines”). Cognates Akin to West Frisian jern, Dutch garen (“yarn”), German Garn (“yarn”), Danish garn, Swedish garn (“yarn, thread”), Icelandic garn (“yarn”), Latin hernia (“rupture”), Ancient Greek χορδή (khordḗ, “string”), Sanskrit हिर (hira, “band”). Compare also the obsolete doublet garn.
Meanings
- (uncountable) A twisted strand of fibre used for knitting or weaving.
- (countable, uncountable) Bundles of fibres twisted together, and which in turn are twisted in bundles to form strands, which in their turn are twisted or plaited to form rope.
-
(countable) A story, a tale, especially one that is incredible.
spin a yarn
Statistically, this person is also likely to be male and well off, but more essentially this person wants to be educated, to be obsessed, wants more than just a good yarn.
2018 September 15, Julius Taranto, “On Outgrowing David Foster Wallace”, in Los Angeles Review of Books:"I'm hanged if I know how you've got the immortal rind to come at me with a yarn like this."
1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 218:I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter IV, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| yarns | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
yarnover · yarn-beam · yarnwindle · spin a yarn · galley yarn · yarn bomber · Saxony yarn · rope yarn · yarn bombing · rogue's yarn · yarn bomb · yarn-spinner · bay yarn · eyelash yarn · sock yarn
Hyponyms
worsted (fiber strand)
Relateds
Synonyms
story (story or tale) · tale (story or tale)
Translations (160)
shi ⵜⵉⵍⵎⵉ (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · bg пре́жда (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fo garn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · sk pradivo (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fa خیط (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · mn утас (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · bg небивалица (story) · pl przędza (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · de Tau (nautical) · da garn (nautical) · yue 冷 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ga snáth (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · wa fyi (whool) (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · km អំបោះ (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · he חוּט חֶבֶל (nautical) · sk priadza (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ka ნართი (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ru пря́жа (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · enm yern (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · hi तागा (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · sl preja (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · es cuento (story) · pt fio (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · sh prȅdīvo (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fr corde (nautical) · pt lã (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · lv dzija (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · nan-hbl 毛線 /毛线 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fa کاموا (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · sh prȅđa (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · de Garn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · nan-hbl 膨紗 /膨纱 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ko 털실 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ro basm (story) · it filato (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · arz بكرة (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · hi सूत (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · th ด้าย (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fi juttu (story) · mk преѓа (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · es estambre (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · lo ດ້າຍ (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · tk ýüplük (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · sv garn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · es historia (story) · esu kistaq (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · it cordaggio (nautical) · ang ġearn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fi tarina (story) · hi धागा (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · arz دوبارة (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · kpv шӧрт (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fi sepustus (story) · it filo (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ale chngax̂ (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · cmn 紗 /纱 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fi lanka (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · cs vlákno (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ro ață (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ja ほら話 (story) · cy edafedd (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fi lanka (nautical) · cs historka (story) · ja 糸 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ro fir (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · grc ἀρπεδόνη (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fi rihma (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ar خَيْط (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · gl cerro (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · nb garn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · mk предиво (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · is garn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · la acia (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · cmn 紗線 /纱线 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · udm шорт (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · sk príbeh (story) · he חוּט (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · pl włóczka (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · tr iplik (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ru ба́йка (story) · af garing (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · la filum (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · it trama (story) · mk приказна (story) · be пра́жа (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · izh lanka (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · sh пре̏дӣво (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ja 毛糸 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · hy մանվածք (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · wa fi (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · tg ресмон (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · nn garn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · kk жіп (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · cmn 毛線 /毛线 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · pl opowieść (story) · fr fil (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · hu fonál (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ur سوت (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · es pábilo (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · oj miskogaadeyaab (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · sh пре̏ђа (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · mn ээрмэл (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ca fil (story) · ka ნაამბობი (story) · ro poveste (story) · oc fil (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ky жип (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · el νήμα (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · my ချည် (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · az ip (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · mi kōrero paki (story) · arz خيط (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · eo fadeno (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · nl garen (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · zu ntambo (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · cs příběh (story) · ga abhras (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · cs příze (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · es hilaza (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · fa نخ (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · mk предено (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · et lõng (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · cy edau (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · vi sợi (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · cs nit (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · mi kōrero whakakata (story) · gl conto (story) · ko 실 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ka ძაფი (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · es pabilo (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ota ایپلك (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · az iplik (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · afb خيط (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ru небыли́ца (story) · uk пря́жа (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · lo ເສັ້ນດ້າຍ (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ca fil (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · lt verpalai (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · et kedrus (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · da garn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · tg нах (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · ka მოთხრობა (story) · zza layêk (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · enm garn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · qu q'aytu (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · he מַעֲשִׂיָּה (story) · pt trama (story) · th เส้นด้าย (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · nds-de Goorn (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · it cordame (nautical) · gl historia (story) · it fandonia (story) · hu fonal (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · uz ip (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · cu прѧжда (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · pl skrętka (nautical) · ccp 𑄙𑄉 (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · tg ришта (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · gl fiado (fiber strand for knitting or weaving) · sq fije (fiber strand for knitting or weaving)