yarn
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a long, thin thread made of wool, cotton, or other fibres used for knitting or weaving.
a continuous strand of twisted natural or synthetic fibres used in weaving, knitting, or textile production.
Simple“She bought three balls of soft blue yarn to knit a sweater for her nephew.”
In context“The weaver selected a high-quality wool yarn, noting that its consistent tension would prevent the fabric from warping during the finishing process.”
UsageUncountable when referring to the material in general; countable when referring to specific types or balls of thread.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a long and exciting story, especially one that is hard to believe.
a long, often improbable or exaggerated narrative, frequently associated with sailors or travellers.
Simple“The old sailor spent the whole evening spinning a yarn about a giant sea monster.”
In context“After a few drinks, he began to spin a tall yarn about his supposed adventures in the merchant navy during the late sixties.”
UsageCommonly used with the verb 'spin' (to spin a yarn).
Teacher's tipThis sense is often used with a slightly humorous or skeptical tone, implying the story might be made up.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
the smaller threads that are twisted together to make a thick rope.
one of the strands of fibres that are twisted together to form a larger rope or cable.
Simple“The rope was weak because several of the internal yarns had started to rot.”
In context“In traditional rope-making, multiple yarns are twisted into strands, which are then laid together to provide the necessary tensile strength.”
From Middle English yarne, ȝern, yarn, from the Old English ġearn (“yarn, spun wool”), from Proto-West Germanic garn, from Proto-Germanic garną (“yarn”), from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰorn-, ǵʰerH- (“tharm, guts, intestines”). Cognates Akin to West Frisian jern, Dutch garen (“yarn”), German Garn (“yarn”), Danish garn, Swedish garn (“yarn, thread”), Icelandic garn (“yarn”), Latin hernia (“rupture”), Ancient Greek χορδή (khordḗ, “string”), Sanskrit हिर (hira, “band”). Compare also the obsolete doublet garn.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.