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

Deppert built seats in a barn to accommodate about 100 people and sold tickets for less than the Wolverines charged for entry into Recreation Park. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Pollock used a barn on the property to work on his enormous canvases, while Krasner painted first in the kitchen and then in a small, upstairs bedroom. — Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026

An 18th-century Cotswold stone tithe barn was converted into a party barn, with a large central hall, a bar, and a mezzanine gallery. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

The two rhinos were never formally introduced, but lived near one another in the rhino barn, the zoo said. — Celia Frazier, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 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