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

The estate also includes several buildings from the 1920s, such as hay barns, stables, and housing for workers, all adding to the ranch’s storied past. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2025

While feeding horses at her barn, a Virginia woman decided to play a few online lottery games. —Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025

Popular elements included barn and vineyard venues, fairy lights, handwritten signage, and eco-friendly decorations such as reclaimed wood and Mason jars. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025

During the following week, on March 5, her birthday, their offer was accepted on a dream farm in Aiken — a 30-acre, 27-stall barn with a polo field, and plan to call it Outfoxed Farms. —Rosalie R. Radomsky, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for barn

• arn
• barne
• carn
• darn
• garn
• karn
• skarn
• yarn

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