darn

1
[ dahrn ]
See synonyms for darn on Thesaurus.com
adjective, adverb
verb (used with object)
  1. to curse; damn: Darn that pesky fly!

Idioms about darn

  1. give a darn. damn (def. 14).

Origin of darn

1
First recorded in 1775–85; see origin at darned

Other definitions for darn (2 of 2)

darn2
[ dahrn ]

verb (used with or without object)
  1. to mend (torn clothing, especially of knitted fabric) with rows of stitches, sometimes by crossing and interweaving rows to span a gap: At the sound of my greeting, Grandma looked up and stopped darning the sock, holding her arms out for a hug.

noun
  1. a darned place, as in a garment: That old sweater full of darns was one of my favorite things to put on after work.

Origin of darn

2
First recorded in 1590–1600; origin unknown

synonym study For darn

1. See mend.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use darn in a sentence

  • She washed the old brown stockings with their many neat darns, and hung them up to dry.

    The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler Warner
  • And the darns were indeed of surprising neatness for a little maid of but eleven years of age.

    Maid Sally | Harriet A. Cheever
  • The Downs family mending went into Mary's basket, and Billy's darns and patches alone were no small matter.

    Mary Ware's Promised Land | Annie Fellows Johnston
  • I could get some of those fine, thick stockings, hers are all darns,—but they might not fit.

    Spinning-Wheel Stories | Louisa May Alcott
  • There was a gentle mellowness in the twilight which softened the darns in the patchwork picture the place presented.

    The One-Way Trail | Ridgwell Cullum

British Dictionary definitions for darn (1 of 2)

darn1

/ (dɑːn) /


verb
  1. to mend (a hole or a garment) with a series of crossing or interwoven stitches

noun
  1. a patch of darned work on a garment

  2. the process or act of darning

Origin of darn

1
C16: probably from French (Channel Islands dialect) darner; compare Welsh, Breton darn piece

Derived forms of darn

  • darner, noun
  • darning, noun

British Dictionary definitions for darn (2 of 2)

darn2

/ (dɑːn) /


interjection, adjective, adverb, noun

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