yarn

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

ldoce_357_ayarn /jɑːn $ jɑːrn/ noun 1. [uncountable]TI thick thread made of cotton or wool, which is used to knit things 纱；线；毛线 →5 See picture of YARN 毛线 →4 See picture of 见图 yarn2

[countable] informalALSTORY a story of adventures, travels etc, usually made more exciting and interesting by adding things that never really happened 奇谈，奇闻轶事；历险故事 The old captain would often spin (=tell) us a yarn about life aboard ship. 老船长经常会给我们讲一些船上生活的奇闻轶事。► see thesaurus at story

Examples from the Corpus

yarn• All the above yarns will be available from your local Spectrum stockist together with a full range of supporting pattern leaflets and books.• In fact, any difficult yarns of this type are easier to weave if the weaving yarn is waxed.• For those afflicted with the notion that national politics is on the level and two-dimensional, the following yarn is logical.• Sew this with matching cotton, or the main yarn.• There are hundreds of black button eyes and a thick nest of yarn for the hair.• Finally, don't ignore the possibilities of basic four-ply yarns.• Take yarn under the needle in E position nearest to the knitting.• You will need to adjust the tension dial to accommodate the rather thicker yarn you are using. 3.spin ... yarn• Evergreen are spinning two yarns at the moment:.• He could spin a yarn, and you had to take what he said with a pinch of salt.• Corso is no dope, and he spins a fascinating yarn.• The extra strength of synthetic fibre allows Evergreen to spin finer yarns with efficiency.• She liked to spin yarn, sing, and dance.• It may be a contradiction in textile terms but these weavers spin a good yarn.• Our women spun fine yarns in their own cottages, and supplemented the earnings of their husbands...Origin yarn Old English gearn

yarn nounChinese

of made thread thick cotton which wool, Corpus or

yarn
yarn /jɑːn $ jɑːrn/

noun

Language: Old English
Origin: gearn

1. [uncountable] thick thread made of cotton or wool, which is used to knit things
2. [countable] informal a story of adventures, travels etc, usually made more exciting and interesting by adding things that never really happened:

The old captain would often spin (=tell) us a yarn about life aboard ship.

THESAURUS

   ▪ story a description of how something happened that is intended to entertain people, and may be true or imaginary: a ghost story | a love story | It’s a story about a man who loses his memory. | a book of short stories
   ▪ tale a story about strange imaginary events, or exciting events that happened in the past: a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen | I loved hearing tales of his travels.
   ▪ myth noun [uncountable and countable] a very old imaginary story about gods and magical creatures: an ancient myth | Greek and Roman myths
   ▪ legend noun [uncountable and countable] an old story about brave people or magical events that are probably not true: popular legends of the creation of the world | According to legend, King Arthur was buried there.
   ▪ fable a traditional imaginary short story that teaches a moral lesson, especially a story about animals: the fable of the tortoise and the hare | a Chinese fable
   ▪ epic a story told in a long book, film, or poem which is about great or exciting events, especially in history: an epic about 13th-century Scottish hero William Wallace
   ▪ saga a story about a series of events that take place over a long period of time, especially events involving one family: a family saga beginning in the 1880s
   ▪ yarn informal a long exciting story that is not completely true: The movie’s a rattling good yarn and full of action.

yarn

BrE

/jɑːn/

🔊

NAmE

/jɑːrn/

🔊

noun