barn

noun

ˈbärn 

1

a

: a usually large building for the storage of farm products or feed and usually for the housing of farm animals or farm equipment

b

: an unusually large and usually bare building

… a great barn of a hotel …

—W. A. White

2

: a large building for the housing of a fleet of vehicles (such as trolley cars or trucks)

barnlike

ˈbärn-ˌlīk 

adjective

barny

ˈbär-nē 

adjective

Examples of barn in a Sentence

They live in a big barn of a house.

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s taken place in a heated onsite barn under UV lights. —Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 29 May 2026

The acreage also left room for additional ambitions, with the listing pointing to practical extras like an oversized three-car garage, space for a shop or barn, and the potential for horses. —David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026

Happy spent her final weeks, by her choice, in an off-exhibit barn and yard within her enclosure, Piper said. —Jennifer Peltz, Fortune, 28 May 2026

The mansion, built in 1885 for George and Charity Brown, originally had a wraparound porch and adjacent barn. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bern, from Old English bereærn, from bere barley + ærn house, store

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing barn

• barn burner
• barn dance
• barn lot
• barn owl
• barn raising
• barn swallow

Rhymes for barn

• arn
• barne
• carn
• darn
• garn
• karn
• skarn
• yarn

Kids Definition

barn

noun

ˈbärn 

: a building used chiefly for storing grain and hay and for housing farm animals or farm equipment

Medical Definition

barn

noun

ˈbärn 

: a unit of area equal to 10⁻²⁴ square centimeters that is used in nuclear physics for measuring cross section