barn

[ bahrn ]

/ bɑrn /

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noun

a building for storing hay, grain, etc., and often for housing livestock.

a very large garage for buses, trucks, etc.; carbarn.

verb (used with object)

to store (hay, grain, etc.) in a barn.

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SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Origin of barn

before 950; Middle English bern,Old English berern (bere (see barley¹) + ern, ǣrn house, cognate with Old Frisian fīaern cowhouse, Old High German erin,Gothic razn,Old Norse rann house; cf. ransack, rest¹)

OTHER WORDS FROM barn

barnlike, adjective

Words nearby barn

Barmecidal, Barmecide, Barmen, bar mitzvah, barmy, barn, Barnabas, Barnaby, barnacle, barnacle goose, Barnard

Other definitions for barn (2 of 2)

barn²

[ bahrn ]

/ bɑrn /

noun Physics.

a unit of nuclear cross section, equal to 10−24 square centimeter. Abbreviation: b

Origin of barn

First recorded in 1945–50; special use of barn¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use barn in a sentence

So it was me, the taxi driver, and a man with a broken arm moving all these priceless cars out of the barn.
Telling men’s stories through their cars|Daniel Bentley|October 19, 2020|Fortune
A great option for a rustic, farmhouse transitional style media stand, this unit comes in several colorways and includes sliding barn style doors, two side doors with metal mesh, and a distressed pine finish.
The best TV and media stands for your home|PopSci Commerce Team|October 16, 2020|Popular-Science
Right now, the barn is relatively simple and open with an astroturf floor, but as the season progresses, Roginson plans to add propane heaters and three vinyl walls on the north, south, and west sides of the structure to insulate from the cold.
A Looming Menace for Restaurants: Winter Is Coming|Brenna Houck|October 15, 2020|Eater
Several of these measures are sound ideas, but unfortunately, two of its latest efforts once again amount to waiting until the horse has made it halfway around the world before you shut the barn door.
Facebook to pause all political advertising—after the election|Kate Cox|October 8, 2020|Ars Technica

The store, the barn, and the other structures were consumed by the fire Monday night.
A California mountain community loses its heart|Mike Silverstein|September 10, 2020|Washington Blade
He was born in a barn to penniless parents who were part of a people under occupation.
Jesus Wasn’t Born Rich. Think About It.|Gene Robinson|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From the roof of the barn is a long loop of rope, through this the turkey is suspended by its legs.
Confessions of a Turkey Killer|Tom Sykes|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is an ancestral homestead, but it has a meth lab in the barn.
Book Bag: Gritty Stories From the Real Montana|Carrie La Seur|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I read that you recorded it at a converted barn in Devon, UK.
La Roux Discusses New Album ‘Trouble in Paradise,’ the 5-Year Gap, and Embracing Her Androgyny|Marlow Stern|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Also happy to get some fresh air (and a huge, aromatic cigar at a safe distance from the barn).
What Did TJ Mean By “Pursuit of Happiness,” Anyway?|P. J. O’Rourke|June 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He went blindly down the street, turned at the corner and sought a quiet place, a livery barn.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Then, kindly and gently, the boy took Squinty over to the place where the corn crib was built on to the barn.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
She knew there would be plenty of rope in the Norwood barn or the garage for their need in erecting the aerials.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose
If we go against 'em now, it'll be all same goin' blindfolded into a barn t' pick out the best hoss.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
A man driving a number of cattle to Boston, one of his cows went into a barn-yard, where there stood a young lad.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various

British Dictionary definitions for barn (1 of 2)

barn¹

/ (bɑːn) /

noun

a large farm outbuilding, used chiefly for storing hay, grain, etc, but also for housing livestock

US and Canadian a large shed for sheltering railroad cars, trucks, etc

any large building, esp an unattractive one

(modifier) relating to a system of poultry farming in which birds are allowed to move freely within a barnbarn eggs

Word Origin for barn

Old English beren, from bere barley + ærn room; see barley 1

British Dictionary definitions for barn (2 of 2)

barn²

/ (bɑːn) /

noun

a unit of nuclear cross section equal to 10 – 28 square metreSymbol: b

Word Origin for barn

C20: from barn 1; so called because of the relatively large cross section

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with barn

barn

see can't hit the broad side of a barn; lock the barn door after the horse is stolen.

barn

Origin of barn

OTHER WORDS FROM barn

Words nearby barn

Other definitions for barn (2 of 2)

Origin of barn

Words related to barn

How to use barn in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for barn (1 of 2)

Word Origin for barn

British Dictionary definitions for barn (2 of 2)

Word Origin for barn

Other Idioms and Phrases with barn