homespun
Americanadjective
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having plain or unsophisticated character
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woven or spun at home
noun
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cloth made at home or made of yarn spun at home
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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
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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.
When Julie Masino became Cracker Barrel’s CEO in 2023, she arrived with plans to modernize a restaurant chain known for breakfast, meatloaf, rocking chairs and a homespun atmosphere.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Retaining that approachable, homespun persona while adhering to the sartorial conventions and expectations of Westminster will be a challenge for Burnham.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
This example of homespun Americana was first performed in 1932 by the Paris Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor, composer, musical wit and historian Nicolas Slonimsky.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
His latest project is “Twilight Override,” a sprawling if homespun triple album under his own name with no fewer than 30 songs about love, travel, music, family and childhood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
I rested my cheek against the rough homespun of his jacket, knowing that my wish was a vain one.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
