noun
yarn
yahn
noun
1
Spun fibre thread used for knitting, weaving, or making rope.
"She bought several skeins of wool yarn to knit a scarf."
2
A long, often exaggerated story.
"The old sailor spun a yarn about a storm that nearly sank the ship."
verb
1
To tell a long or unlikely story.
"The two of them sat by the fire, yarning about their travels."
How to Use Yarn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither thread for knitting/weaving, or an entertaining (and often stretched) story.
Common pairings
spin a yarn
ball of yarn
knitting yarn
Word Forms
yarned past tense, yarns plural, yarns singular
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She bought several skeins of wool _____ to knit a scarf.
Etymology
From Old English ġearn ("spun wool"), an ancient Germanic word for spun fibre; the "tall tale" sense grew out of sailors literally spinning yarn while telling stories on long voyages.