homespun
Americanadjective
-
having plain or unsophisticated character
-
woven or spun at home
noun
-
cloth made at home or made of yarn spun at home
-
a cloth resembling this but made on a power loom
Etymology
Origin of homespun
Explanation
Something homespun has a simple, coarse feel, like your homespun plan to bring about world peace by giving everyone a daily spoonful of your aunt’s delicious strawberry jam. Homespun literally means spun at home. If you spin the wool from your sheep into yarn, and then make a dress out of it, it won’t be as fine or precise as fabric spun in a factory. Back in the day when large portions of the population couldn't afford milled cloth, homespun fabric marked you as poor, or just a farmer living off the land. Today we use homespun to describe anything that seems homemade, simple, or folksy, from homespun linens to homespun philosophies of life.
Vocabulary lists containing homespun
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Sold
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Winnie the Pooh, the self-described bear of "very little brain" who has charmed generations with his homespun and heartfelt wisdom, is turning 100.
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
The company had also tried to revamp some of its stores, including decluttering and replacing much of the homespun decor with white exteriors and interiors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
The band was the first to sanction fan taping at their concerts, spawning an abundance of homespun recordings that have been collected, traded and debated for decades.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2026
Long processions of women, many of them bearing a takli or spindle to honour Gandhi's commitment to homespun khadi cloth, take over Bombay's streets, quite literally pushing men to the very margins.
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025
Jonas smiled at her in admiration and affection, but his own clothing, even on Feast Night, was simple: a homespun shirt over coarse trousers.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
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.
