yarn

yarn — noun

1. thick thread made by twisting fibres such as wool or cotton together, used for k

1.nounB1
Definition

thick thread made by twisting fibres such as wool or cotton together, used for knitting, weaving, or hand-sewing crafts

Example

Nellie bought three balls of blue yarn at the craft shop.

collocation: balls of yarn

The old sweater was carefully undone and the yarn reused for a scarf.

passive: was undone / yarn reused

Common collocations
  • balls of yarn
  • wind the yarn
  • knit with yarn
  • skein of yarn
  • strand of yarn
Synonyms
  • thread

    much thinner than yarn; used for sewing with a needle, not for knitting or weaving

  • fibre

    the raw material (e.g. wool, cotton, acrylic) before it is twisted into yarn

Usage Note

Yarn can be uncountable ('some yarn') when talking about the material in general, or countable ('different yarns') when referring to types, colours, or brands.

Common Mistakes

I need a yarn for my knitting project.
I need some yarn for my knitting project.
'yarn' is uncountable when referring to the material in general, so 'a yarn' is incorrect unless referring to a type ('a soft wool yarn').
This thread is too thin for knitting a sweater.
This yarn is too thin for knitting a sweater.
'thread' is for sewing; 'yarn' is the correct word for knitting and crocheting.

2. a long, entertaining story that someone tells, often making it more exciting tha

2.nounB2
Definition

a long, entertaining story that someone tells, often making it more exciting than it really was or adding made-up details

Example

Grandpa Rohan loves to spin a yarn about his childhood adventures in Mumbai.

collocation: spin a yarn

The old sailor told a yarn about a sea monster that still gives me chills.

Common collocations
  • spin a yarn
  • tell a yarn
  • yarn about
Synonyms
  • tale

    similar meaning, but 'yarn' adds a flavour of playful exaggeration

  • anecdote

    shorter and more personal than a yarn

  • saga

    much longer than a yarn, often spanning generations or major events

Usage Note

Often paired with the verb 'spin' ('to spin a yarn'). This sense is informal and slightly old-fashioned; in everyday conversation, 'story' or 'tale' is more neutral.

Common Mistakes

She told a yarn about her weekend shopping trip.
Grandpa spun a yarn about crossing the Atlantic on a raft.
'yarn' implies a long, exciting, possibly exaggerated tale, not a short or ordinary story.
Idioms

spin (someone) a yarn

idiom

to tell someone a long, entertaining story, often one that is not completely true or is greatly exaggerated

The salesperson spun us a yarn about the car having belonged to a movie star.

Uncle Nikhil can spin a yarn for hours without repeating himself.

pitch a story/line/yarn (to somebody)

idiom

To tell someone a story or excuse that is not true.

Maya pitched a yarn about her car breaking down.

Did Brian pitch that same line to you yesterday?

yarn — verb

Word family

  • yarner
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four refer to thin, flexible strands, but they differ in thickness and typical use. Thread is very thin and designed for sewing with a needle — you would never knit with sewing thread. Yarn is thicker, made of twisted fibres, and intended for knitting, crocheting, and weaving. Fibre is the raw material (wool, cotton, acrylic) before it is twisted into yarn. String is a general-purpose thin cord used for tying packages or securing items — it is not used in textile crafts. Twine is stronger and thicker than string, often used for gardening or packaging. If you are buying supplies for a knitting project, ask for yarn, not thread or string. If you are untangling material straight from a sheep's fleece, that is fibre.

thread ↗fibre ↗string ↗twine

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • spin a yarn

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'yarn' comes from Old English 'gearn', meaning spun fibre, with roots in Proto-Germanic '*garną' and further back in Proto-Indo-European '*ǵʰer-', referring to gut or intestine — animal intestines were once used as thread. The storytelling sense appeared in the late 1700s, probably inspired by the image of 'spinning' a tale, since spinning wool into yarn was a common activity where people told stories.