# barn

/ˈbɑɹn/ (US) · /bˈɑːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/barn
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. farm building

noun · CEFR A2

a large building on a farm used for keeping animals or storing grain and equipment.

For teachers: a large agricultural building used for the storage of farm products and the sheltering of livestock.

- The farmer kept the tractor and the hay inside the big red barn.
- During the winter months, the cattle are moved from the open pastures into the barn to protect them from the freezing temperatures.

### 2. sports arena

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a large, often old or simple sports building or arena.

For teachers: an informal term for a large, cavernous building used for public events, particularly a hockey or basketball arena.

- The local team has played in the same old barn for over fifty years.
- Despite its lack of modern amenities, the old barn provided an incredibly loud and intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams.

### 3. physics unit

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a very small unit used in science to measure the area of an atom's nucleus.

For teachers: a unit of area, equivalent to 10⁻²⁸ square metres, used to quantify the cross section of atomic nuclei.

- The scientists measured the reaction in barns to understand how the particles collided.
- The probability of a specific nuclear interaction is expressed as a cross section, typically measured in barns or millibarns.

### 4. to store in a barn

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to put crops or animals into a barn.

For teachers: to store or house agricultural produce or livestock within a barn structure.

- They worked until dark to barn the last of the hay before the storm.
- The harvest was successfully barned just as the autumn rains began to saturate the fields.

## Examples

- The farmer keeps the tractor in the barn.
- During the winter months, the cattle are brought inside the barn to protect them from the snow.
- The historic timber-framed barn had been meticulously restored to serve as a rustic venue for weddings while retaining its original agricultural character.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.