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

The Green Mountains, hay bales, cows, and barns immediately calmed my mind and gave the kids a place to run around and have fun. — Jaclyn Greenberg, Parents, 29 June 2026

Brown was attempting to jump-start a vehicle in his family barn in Chaptico when a fire broke out the night of February 24. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 25 June 2026

The actor, who died in February of smoke inhalation after a barn fire, had alcohol and carbon monoxide in his system, according to a Maryland Chief Medical Examiner autopsy report obtained by USA TODAY on Thursday, June 25. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 25 June 2026

The young owls may start leaving the barn as early as July. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 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