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# yarn

noun (yarn, yarns); verb (yarn, yarns, yarned, yarning — informal, Australia/NZ)

«yarn» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Yarn is long thread made of wool, cotton or other fibre, used for knitting, crocheting and weaving. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#m1)
2. (informal) A yarn is a long story, often one that is exciting or not quite true. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#m2)
3. (informal, Australia/NZ) A yarn is a chat; to yarn means to talk for a while in a friendly way. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#m3)

### In the lessons

In crafts lessons and stories yarn is what you knit with; a ball of yarn has a length that maths problems may share between people. In stories, «spin a yarn» means to tell a long, perhaps made-up tale. In Australian and New Zealand speech, «have a yarn» means have a chat. Phrases: «a ball of yarn», «spin a yarn», «have a yarn».

### Examples

- Gran bought blue yarn to knit me a scarf. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#x1)
- The kitten played with a ball of yarn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#x2)
- A ball of yarn is 60 metres long; how many 4-metre pieces can you cut? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#x3)
- Grandpa spun us a yarn about a giant fish. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#x4)
- Come over and have a yarn with us, mate. (Australia) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#x5)
- We sat on the porch yarning till dark. (Australia/NZ) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#x6)
- The rug is woven from thick wool yarn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#x7)
- Habetrot soon overtook her, and placed the yarn in her hands. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/#x8)

### Note

Yarn (thread) is usually uncountable: «some yarn», but «different yarns» for kinds. A story yarn is countable: «a yarn, yarns». Do not confuse with «yawn» (opening your mouth when tired).

## In Jewish tradition

In crafts lessons and stories yarn is what you knit with; a ball of yarn has a length that maths problems may share between people. In stories, «spin a yarn» means to tell a long, perhaps made-up tale. In Australian and New Zealand speech, «have a yarn» means have a chat. Phrases: «a ball of yarn», «spin a yarn», «have a yarn».

### Examples

- I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt. (Writings PRO.7.16, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/Y/yarn/#x1)
- Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for thy wares; massive iron, cassia, and calamus, were among thy merchandise. (Prophets EZK.27.19, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/Y/yarn/#x2)

### Note

Yarn (thread) is usually uncountable: «some yarn», but «different yarns» for kinds. A story yarn is countable: «a yarn, yarns». Do not confuse with «yawn» (opening your mouth when tired).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «yarn» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yarn/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«yarn» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/yarn.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «yarn» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/Y/yarn/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«yarn» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/yarn.html) on Mova free.