barn

noun

ˈbärn How to pronounce barn (audio)
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 How to pronounce barn (audio)
adjective
barny
ˈbär-nē How to pronounce barn (audio)
adjective

Examples of barn in a Sentence

They live in a big barn of a house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 1920s white barn is over 100 years old and has been through many iterations in its lifetime: a hardware store, an antique store and, right before Jackson bought the building, a home furnishings store. — Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025 The pasture behind the barn is a blur of adolescent goats bleating, bolting, and knocking one another down. — Scott Clark As Told To Betsy Andrews, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2025 The hulking barn that was known less for sports than for its raucous rock concerts in the 1970s and ‘80s. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025 Both her oversized aviator sunglasses and handbag come in shades that play off the colors in her barn jacket, the same goes for her choice of denim and shirt. — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for barn

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of barn was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing barn

Rhymes for barn

See All Rhymes for barn

Browse Nearby Words

barmy
barn
Barnabas
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barn. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

barn

noun
ˈbärn How to pronounce barn (audio)
: a building used chiefly for storing grain and hay and for housing farm animals or farm equipment

Medical Definition

barn

noun
ˈbärn How to pronounce barn (audio)
: a unit of area equal to 10−24 square centimeters that is used in nuclear physics for measuring cross section

More from Merriam-Webster on barn

Nglish: Translation of barn for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barn

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