yarn
Americannoun
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thread made of natural or synthetic fibers and used for knitting and weaving.
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a continuous strand or thread made from glass, metal, plastic, etc.
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the thread, in the form of a loosely twisted aggregate of fibers, as of hemp, of which rope is made rope yarn.
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a tale, especially a long story of adventure or incredible happenings.
He spun a yarn that outdid any I had ever heard.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a continuous twisted strand of natural or synthetic fibres, used in weaving, knitting, etc
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informal a long and often involved story or account, usually telling of incredible or fantastic events
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informal
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to tell such a story
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to make up or relate a series of excuses
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verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have yarnedperfect
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has yarnedperfect 3rd person singular
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is yarningprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been yarningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been yarningperfect progressive
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am yarningprogressive 1st person singular
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are yarningprogressive
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yarningparticiple
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yarnssingular 3rd person
Past
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had yarnedperfect
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were yarningprogressive plural
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had been yarningperfect progressive
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was yarningprogressive singular
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yarnedparticiple
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yarnedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of yarn
before 1000; Middle English; Old English gearn; cognate with German Garn; akin to Old Norse gǫrn gut, Greek chordḗ intestine, chord 1, Lithuanian žarnà entrails, Latin hernia a rupture, Sanskrit hirā vein
Explanation
If you want to knit a hat, you're going to need yarn, the thick string made of twisted threads that's used to make sweaters, scarves, socks and other knitted things. Yarn is made from fibers, and it comes in many colors. When you knit, you weave yarn with needles and end up with a pot holder or a pair of mittens. Another kind of yarn is a long story that's told out loud. You might, in fact, tell your friend a yarn while you crochet an afghan with yarn. The Old English root word, gearn, means "spun fibers," but it comes from the Proto-Indo-European ghere, or "intestine."
Vocabulary lists containing yarn
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
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The Season of Styx Malone
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Stories of Ourselves
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I’m not gonna go to the Yarn Barn,” Ness replies.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
The play was produced by Wee Yarn Productions and was co-produced by Craic Theatre.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Lookout Hill: Yarn and Art Supplies – I passed this shop a few times and couldn’t get over how charming it looked.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
Crafters find many resources at Fidalgo Artisan Yarn & Clothing, Fabrics Plus and The Bead Store at Elisabeth’s Cottage just in time for holiday gift making.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2023
Side note: I’d wanted her to call the channel Knitty Gritty, but she broke my heart and went with Yarn Star because it sounded like “yarn store” spoken with a heavy Southern twang.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
