barn
BAHN
Barn (noun) means a large farm building used to store crops, equipment, or house animals. Example: “The farmer parked the tractor in the barn before the rain started.”
noun
1
A large farm building used to store crops, equipment, or house animals.
"The farmer parked the tractor in the barn before the rain started."
"Swallows built their nests in the roof of the old stone barn."
"They kept the hay bales stacked high in the barn all winter."
2
A unit of area used in nuclear and particle physics to measure the cross-section of atomic nuclei.
"Physicists measure nuclear reaction probabilities in barns."
How to use barn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA farm building for storing grain, hay, or equipment, or for housing livestock.
Common pairings
barn door
barn animals
red barn
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Word forms
- Plural
- barns
- Third person singular
- barns
- Past tense
- barned
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The farmer parked the tractor in the _____ before the rain started.
Etymology
From Old English berern, a compound of "bere" (barley) and "ærn" (a building) — literally a "barley house."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for barn
See all rhymes for barn →Frequently asked questions
What does “barn” mean?
The word “barn” means a large farm building used to store crops, equipment, or house animals. In plain terms, a farm building for storing grain, hay, or equipment, or for housing livestock.
How do you pronounce “barn”?
“Barn” is pronounced BAHN ([ˈbɑɹn] in IPA).
How do you use “barn” in a sentence?
Here is “barn” used in a sentence: “They kept the hay bales stacked high in the barn all winter.”
What part of speech is “barn”?
“Barn” is a noun.
Where does the word “barn” come from?
The word “barn” comes from Old English. From Old English berern, a compound of "bere" (barley) and "ærn" (a building) — literally a "barley house.".
Is “barn” a common word?
“Barn” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “barn” have?
“Barn” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large farm building used to store crops, equipment, or house animals.
What is the difference between a barn and a stable?
A barn is a large farm building with many possible uses — storing crops and equipment or housing animals — while a stable is specifically a building where horses are kept. Every stable houses animals; a barn might contain only hay and machinery.
What is the difference between a barn and a shed?
Size and purpose. A barn is a large farm building for crops, equipment, or livestock, while a shed is typically a smaller, simpler structure for storage or shelter, such as a garden shed or tool shed.
What is a barn in physics?
In nuclear and particle physics, a barn is a unit of area used to measure the cross-section of atomic nuclei — effectively how large a target a nucleus presents in a collision. One barn equals 10⁻²⁸ square metres.
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