yarn

[ yahrn ]
/ yɑrn /

noun

thread made of natural or synthetic fibers and used for knitting and weaving.
a continuous strand or thread made from glass, metal, plastic, etc.
the thread, in the form of a loosely twisted aggregate of fibers, as of hemp, of which rope is made (rope yarn).
a tale, especially a long story of adventure or incredible happenings: He spun a yarn that outdid any I had ever heard.

verb (used without object)

Informal. to spin a yarn; tell stories.

Origin of yarn

before 1000; Middle English; Old English gearn; cognate with German Garn; akin to Old Norse gǫrn gut, Greek chordḗ intestine, chord1, Lithuanian žarnà entrails, Latin hernia a rupture, Sanskrit hirā vein

Example sentences from the Web for yarn

British Dictionary definitions for yarn

yarn
/ (jɑːn) /

noun

a continuous twisted strand of natural or synthetic fibres, used in weaving, knitting, etc
informal a long and often involved story or account, usually telling of incredible or fantastic events
spin a yarn informal
  1. to tell such a story
  2. to make up or relate a series of excuses

verb

(intr) to tell such a story or stories

Word Origin for yarn

Old English gearn; related to Old High German garn yarn, Old Norse görn gut, Greek khordē string, gut

Idioms and Phrases with yarn

yarn

see spin a yarn.