n. 1 a large farm building for storing grain etc. 2 derog. a large plain or unattractive building. 3 US a large shed for storing road or railway vehicles. barn dance 1 an informal social gathering for country dancing, orig. in a barn. 2 a dance for a number of couples forming a line or circle, with couples moving along it in turn. barn-owl a kind of owl, Tyto alba, frequenting barns.
[ OE bern, beren f. bere barley + ern, rn house ]