yarn
yarn spun fibre of cotton, silk, etc. OE. ġearn = MDu. gaern (Du. garen), (O)HG., ON. garn, prob. f. base repr. also by *ʒarnō in ON. gǫrn, pl. garnar guts, and *ʒarnjo- in OE. miċġern, OS. midgarni, OHG. mittigarni entrail fat, suet, and rel. outside Gmc. to Lith. žárna intestine, L. haruspex one who divines from inspection of entrails, Gr. khordḗ intestine, guts. The sense ‘story, tale’ (XIX) is from naut. sl. phr. spin a yarn.
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NEARBY TERMS
yarn
