yarn

noun \ ˈyärn \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Definition of yarn

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 : a narrative of adventures; especially : a tall tale

a roaring good yarn

See yarn defined for English-language learners

See yarn defined for kids

Examples of yarn in a Sentence

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 of yarn from the Web

Dhirubhai Ambani began his career as a clerk before venturing out on his own to trade spices and yarn.

— Fortune, "8 Things to Know About Mukesh Ambani, Asia's Newest Richest Man," 13 July 2018
The treatment program for all the facility’s young visitors also includes a good yarn or two.

— ginger brashinger, Daily Southtown, "Health checkups now include story time, free books for Will County kids," 28 June 2018
But the press, unable to resist a colorful yarn and perhaps blinded by the negative stereotypes of Staten Island that prevail in the rest of the city, hyped this race relentlessly.

— matthew yglesias, Vox, "3 winners and 2 losers from the primaries in South Carolina, New York, Utah, and Colorado," 27 June 2018
My goal was to no longer want to drink a bottle of wine every night, and that would take more yarn.

— Longreads, "Trying to Kill the Want," 20 June 2018
Take some regular old acrylic knitting yarn, modify it with a special kind of adsorbent chemical, and wave it around in the ocean.

— megan geuss, Ars Technica, "Attention knitters: Researchers harvest uranium from the sea with a yarn “net”," 18 June 2018
For readers simply seeking a ripping yarn, this volume alone will suffice.

— clea simon, BostonGlobe.com, "In Jordy Rosenberg’s new novel, it’s a trans, trans, trans, trans world," 22 June 2018
The record’s production is one-note, and half of its 19 tracks are filler, but damn if Rich Homie Quan can’t spin a yarn.

— rachel yang, Chicago Reader, "Rich Homie Quan shows he’s more than just the “Ooh Ooh Ooh” guy," 21 June 2018
As if to add insult to injury, Mother’s Day falls when school is still in session, so your little ones can make their moms all kinds of handmade treasures from yarn, construction paper and macaroni.

— john d'anna, azcentral, "On Father's Day, dads don't need (or want) you to go through the motions," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yarn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of yarn

Middle English, from Old English gearn; akin to Old High German garn yarn, Greek chordē string, Latin hernia rupture, Sanskrit hira band

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

yarn Synonyms

Synonyms

narrative, novelette, novella, short story, story, tale;

Related Words

bedtime story;

exemplum, fable, parable;

anecdote, joke;

fairy tale, folktale, legend, myth, romance;

account, annals, chronicle, history, record, report;

Other Textiles Terms

batt, bias, brocade, duck, flock, lawn, toile

yarn

verb

Definition of yarn

yarned; yarning; yarns

intransitive verb

: to tell a yarn

—

yarner

noun

Recent Examples of yarn from the Web

Forty-eight vendors sold everything from fresh beef and eggs to yarn made from alpaca fiber, handmade signs and bags, to natural soaps and body products.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Winter Farmers Market Draws Hundreds," 21 Mar. 2018
Kaye, who has since created crochet content for the Gap, Valentino, Starbucks, and Miller Lite (in which she yarn bombed an entire 50-by-25 foot billboard in Times Square), started crocheting at 13, selling scarves to her dance studio classmates.

— niree noel, Los Angeles Magazine, "London Kaye Is Bombing L.A. (With Yarn)," 9 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of yarn

1812

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

YARN Defined for English Language Learners

yarn

noun

Definition of yarn for English Language Learners

: a long, thin piece of cotton, wool, etc., that is thicker than thread and that is used for knitting and weaving
: an exciting or interesting story; especially : a story that is so surprising or unusual that it is difficult to believe