yarn Hear it!

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yarn definition

yarn (yärn)

noun

  1. any fiber, as wool, silk, flax, cotton, nylon, glass, etc., spun into strands for weaving, knitting, or making thread
  2. coarse fibers woven into strands for rope-making
  3. Informal a tale or story, esp. one that seems exaggerated or hard to believe

Etymology: ME < OE gearn, yarn, akin to Ger garn < IE base *her-, intestine > L haru-spex, soothsayer, lit., intestine-seer, Gr chordē

intransitive verb

Informal to tell yarns
yarn Idioms

spin a yarn

Informal to tell a yarn

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms yarn idiom

yarn Synonyms

yarn

n.

  1. Spun fiber

    wool, spun wool, twist, flaxen thread, cotton fiber, rug yarn, crochet thread, knitting yarn, alpaca yarn; see also fiber 1, thread.

  2. A tale

    anecdote, sea story, adventure story, fictional account; see story.

  3. A lie

    fabrication, tall story, alibi, fish story*, cock-and-bull story*, crock*; see also lie 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

yarn Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • knit: This pattern booklet has 10 classic designs using double knitting cotton yarn.

Adjective modifier

  • ripping: In fact, the film is truly a ripping yarn of the highest order.

Modifies a noun

  • ideal: A fine, pure soft cotton chenille yarn ideal for dyeing.

Noun used with modifier

  • cashmere: It also supplies cashmere yarn to Dawson International's premium cashmere brand, Ballantyne.
yarn usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"yarn." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/yarn>

APA Style

yarn. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/yarn

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