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

My great-great-grandfather hanged himself in the barn one winter. —Leslie Jamison, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2025

The bathroom area is hidden behind two rustic, sliding barn doors, which helps to make the home feel more open than crammed. —Euna Park, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2025

Since the outbreak was first reported in a Texas dairy herd last March, dead barn cats have served as sentinel warnings to veterinarians and investigators of the virus’ presence on a farm. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025

What's new: The city and the Stock Show spent $40 million to upgrade the livestock barns and build a new show arena as part of a plan to refurbish and update the Will Rogers Memorial Center, which was built in 1948. —Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 16 Jan. 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

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