yarn

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a continuous often plied strand composed of either natural or man-made fibers or filaments and used in weaving and knitting to form cloth
b
: a similar strand of another material (such as metal, glass, or plastic)
2
[from the idiom spin a yarn "to tell a tale"] : a narrative of adventures
especially : a tall tale
a roaring good yarn

yarn

2 of 2

verb

yarned; yarning; yarns

intransitive verb

: to tell a yarn
yarner noun

Examples of yarn in a Sentence

Noun The sheep's wool will be spun into yarn. yarns about ghosts and goblins a storyteller who spins yarns that will keep any audience riveted
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Available in sizes 14 through 32, this dress is constructed from a stretchy cotton and acrylic blend yarn that is lightweight and breathable despite its sweater-like feel. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 Use it to store craft supplies like paint cans, yarn, and rolls of paper. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Feb. 2024 They're made from deadstock yarn, which reduces textile waste, and the patterns are eye-catching and adorable. Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 16 Feb. 2024 Not every spouse’s weird hobby actually gets the house clean rather than filling up its corners, say, with home-brewing kits, exotic birds or old plastic bags full of yarn. John Hodgman, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 The water bottles are cleaned and ground up into a clear flake that is either sold to external customers or is used to make Repreve yarn. Erik Matuszewski, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Utilizing infrared yarn that is infused with ceramic infrared-emitting particles, the gloves are designed to absorb your body's natural heat energy and then release it back into your body. Sarah Bradley, Verywell Health, 5 Feb. 2024 Grab some yarn for a fun twist on the classic craft. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2024 The result is a mere yarn that, lacking any sense of meaningful retrospect at a quarter century’s distance, remains untethered at either end of its time line and merely goes slack. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Browse novels at Old Town Books, shoes at the Shoe Hive, items from local makers at Shop Made in Virginia and Made in ALX, gifts from Red Barn Mercantile, cocktail accessories at the Hour, and yarn and knitting supplies at Fibre Space, or visit consignment shops such as Twist and Encore. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024 Secure the planets to yarn with the needle and thread up through remaining eight holes. Rachelle Doorley, Parents, 16 Aug. 2023 Eventually, The Kelly Clarkson Show host gave up on her work, balling the needles and yarn together to signify she was done with both the piece and the video. Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 7 June 2023 Begin by chaining two loops, then yarn over. Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 31 Oct. 2022 The range: large-scale new media productions, to psychedelic sculptures, to yarn. Robin Soslow, Chron, 20 Feb. 2023 The book’s title refers less to yarn than to Ms. Orenstein’s sense during the pandemic that her life is, in a word, unraveling. Barbara Spindel, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2023 Gina Owen is a member of the Dallas Yarn Bombers group, an organization that crafts yarn installations around the city. Dallas News, 29 June 2022 Yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull through three times in the same space to create your bobble. Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 31 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yarn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English yerne, yarne "spun fiber," going back to Old English gearn, going back to Germanic *garna- (whence also Middle Dutch gaern, garen "spun fiber," Old High German & Old Norse garn), masculine noun probably from the same base as feminine *garnō "intestine" (whence Old Norse gǫrn, plural garnar "guts") and *garnja- (in Old English micgern, midirne "fat around the entrails of an animal," Old Saxon midgarni, Old High German mittigarni, with *midja- mid entry 1), going back to Indo-European *ǵhorH-n- (whence also Lithuanian žarnà "intestine" and Greek khordḗ "catgut, string of a musical instrument, sausage," in plural "guts, tripe," if altered from *khornḗ), suffixed o-grade derivative of *ǵhr̥H- "gut, cord made from animal intestines," whence Latin haru- "intestines" (in haruspex haruspex), Sanskrit híraḥ "band, strip," hirā́ "vein"

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of yarn was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near yarn

Cite this Entry

“Yarn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yarn. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

yarn

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a natural or manufactured fiber (as cotton, wool, or rayon) formed as a continuous strand for use in knitting or weaving
b
: a similar strand of another material (as metal, glass, or plastic)
2
: an interesting or exciting story

yarn

2 of 2 verb
: to tell a yarn

More from Merriam-Webster on yarn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!