Meaning & use
barn
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Meanings
nouncountable
A large farm building used for storing crops, equipment, or housing livestock.
Grammar: Countable noun: a barn, two barns.
The farmer stored the hay in the barn.
They keep the cows in the barn during winter.
The old barn is full of tractors and tools.
nouncountable
A large, often sliding door on a barn or similar building.
Grammar: Countable noun: often in the phrase 'barn door'.
Patterns
- barn door
The barn door was left open, and the chickens escaped.
He painted the barn doors red.
Word forms
| plural | barns |
|---|
Common combinations
- barn door
- The barn door creaked as it swung open.
- barn owl
- A barn owl flew silently over the field.
- barn dance
- They held a barn dance to celebrate the harvest.
- barn raising
- The community gathered for a traditional barn raising.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- barnyard noun
- The area around a barn, often where animals are kept.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'barn' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A barn is a farm building, so it can contain wheat and tractors. The other options use 'barn' as a clothing item, a living thing that swims, or a verb, which are not standard meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “barn”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.