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

In the clip, the brother horse strolled through the barn, ignoring all the other horses and people. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

Across the valley sat a two-story barn where caramel-colored and chestnut-spotted horses plus a storybook white one were lined up along the wooden fence. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025

About 18 vehicles, including a number of rare barn find cars, were auctioned from the collection. —Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

Country kids playing in the barn. —Kara Nesvig, Parents, 12 Sep. 2025

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