yarn

American  

[yahrn] / yɑrn /

noun

1. thread made of natural or synthetic fibers and used for knitting and weaving.

2. a continuous strand or thread made from glass, metal, plastic, etc.

3. the thread, in the form of a loosely twisted aggregate of fibers, as of hemp, of which rope is made rope yarn.

4. 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)

yarns, present (3rd person singular) yarned, past participle, past yarning present participle

1. Informal. to spin a yarn; tell stories.

yarn British  

/ jɑːn /

noun

1. a continuous twisted strand of natural or synthetic fibres, used in weaving, knitting, etc

2. informal a long and often involved story or account, usually telling of incredible or fantastic events

3. informal

   1. to tell such a story

   2. to make up or relate a series of excuses

---

verb

1. (intr) to tell such a story or stories

yarn Idioms  

1. see spin a yarn.

---

Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have yarned
  perfect
• has yarned
  perfect 3rd person singular
• is yarning
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been yarning
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been yarning
  perfect progressive
• am yarning
  progressive 1st person singular
• are yarning
  progressive
• yarning
  participle
• yarns
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had yarned
  perfect
• were yarning
  progressive plural
• had been yarning
  perfect progressive
• was yarning
  progressive singular
• yarned
  participle
• yarned
  simple

Future

• will yarn
  simple
• will have yarned
  perfect
• will be yarning
  progressive
• will have been yarning
  perfect progressive

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."

Example Sentences

Other recent events have focused on “lost arts,” including sewing, knitting and jewelry making, in which Edenwald residents have offered instruction and bins of yarn.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

My reaction was this: “Not this same old yarn again.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Inside, there’s a great mix of yarn, art supplies, and classes if you’re feeling inspired.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Thought to be made from a cattle femur, this decorated Anglo-Saxon spindle whorl, used to provide weight while spinning yarn, was unearthed from farmland near Bishopstone, Buckinghamshire.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

The watch and the yarn he puts in his pockets with the candle he pulled from the Wishing Tree.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• fleece
• thread
• wool