barn

noun

ˈbärn 

1

a

: a usually large building for the storage of farm products or feed and usually for the housing of farm animals or farm equipment

b

: an unusually large and usually bare building

a great barn of a hotel

—W. A. White

2

: a large building for the housing of a fleet of vehicles (such as trolley cars or trucks)

barnlike

ˈbärn-ˌlīk 

adjective

barny

ˈbär-nē 

adjective

Examples of barn in a Sentence

They live in a big barn of a house.

Recent Examples on the Web

While the nearby restaurant and brewery sustained only minor heat damage, its barn venue burned down entirely. —Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024

Though just two men were tried—and acquitted—for the murder, Thompson’s research suggests eight were present in the barn on the night of Till’s killing. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024

His camera took a series of long-exposure shots, capturing ambient light cast on the clouds and barn. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

As the turkeys age, farmers lower the temperature in the barn until the turkeys are big enough to move to a larger space. —Solcyré Burga, TIME, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bern, from Old English bereærn, from bere barley + ærn house, store

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing barn

• barn burner
• barn dance
• barn lot
• barn owl
• barn raising
• barn swallow

Kids Definition

barn

noun

ˈbärn 

: a building used chiefly for storing grain and hay and for housing farm animals or farm equipment

Medical Definition

barn

noun

ˈbärn 

: a unit of area equal to 10⁻²⁴ square centimeters that is used in nuclear physics for measuring cross section