- [uncountable, countable]
thread that has been spun, used for knitting, making cloth, etc. 纱；纱线 
The sweaters are hand-knitted in cotton, linen or wool yarns. 那些毛衣是用棉、亚麻或羊毛线手工织成的。 There's a knot in the yarn. 纱线上有个结。
Extra ExamplesThe yarn has to be threaded through the needle. 得把纱线穿进针去。 The yarn is woven into a coarse fabric. 将纱线织成了一块粗布。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fine
- thick
- coloured/colored
- …
- length
- piece
- ball
- …
- knit
- knit with
- spin
- …
- in a/the yarn
- [countable] (informal)
a long story, especially one that is exaggerated or invented （尤指夸张的或编造的）故事 Extra ExamplesTopics Literature and writingc2He tried to spin us some yarn about how he was collecting for the church. It was all lies. 他试图给我们编一个他如何为教会募捐的故事。那全都是谎言。 He went on to spin an entertaining yarn about his army days. 他接着给我们杜撰了一个关于他当兵时的有趣故事。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- entertaining
- good
- gripping
- …
- spin (somebody)
- tell (somebody)
- yarn about
Word OriginOld English gearn; of Germanic origin, related to Dutch garen.
Idioms
pitch a story/line/yarn (to somebody)
- (informal)
to tell somebody a story or make an excuse that is not true （对某人）编谎话