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

Cisterns held three thousand gallons of water; solar panels and batteries stored three weeks of power; dehydrated food was stacked high in a barn. —Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

So far this year, there’ve been sumptuous suede blazers and preppy barn jackets to lust after. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024

Much like barn jackets and New Balance shoes, the normcore dad-style staple has been adopted as a modern fashion statement, infusing effortless attitude — and often, an ironic wink — into elevated ensembles from weekend outings to even the workplace. —Olivia Cigliano, WWD, 1 Nov. 2024

Practical and fashionable, this barn jacket has been dubbed as shoppers' favorite transitional piece. —Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 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