darn

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See also: darń

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

A minced oath of damn.

Adjective

darn (not comparable)

  1. (euphemistic) Damn.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Adverb

darn (not comparable)

  1. (degree, euphemistic) Damned.
    • 1948, Cole Porter, “Too Darn Hot”:
      But I ain't up to my baby tonight / 'Cause it's too darn hot
    • 2021 September 6, Zack Handlen, “Rick And Morty ends its fifth season looking for an escape hatch”, in AV Club:
      Of the two episodes, “Mortshall” is slightly weaker, while still being pretty darn good. I spent a lot of this season bemoaning the weaker entries, and like I said last time, it’s shit like this that makes me complain when stuff gets super dumb.

Interjection

darn

  1. (euphemistic) Damn.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

darn (third-person singular simple present darns, present participle darning, simple past and past participle darned)

  1. (transitive, euphemistic) Damn.
Synonyms
Translations

Noun

darn (plural darns)

  1. (euphemistic) Damn.
    His opinion isn't worth a darn.

Etymology 2

Darning

From Middle English dernen (to keep secret, hide, conceal (a hole)), from Old English diernan (to hide, conceal), from Proto-West Germanic *darnijan, from Proto-West Germanic *darnī (hidden, secret). Related to Old English dyrne, dierne (secret, adjective).

Verb

darn (third-person singular simple present darns, present participle darning, simple past and past participle darned)

  1. (transitive, sewing) To repair by stitching with thread or yarn, particularly by using a needle to construct a weave across a damaged area of fabric.
    I need to darn these socks again.
    • a. 1746 (date written), Jonathan Swift, “An Essay on the Fates of Clergymen”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, , new edition, volume V, London: J Johnson,  Nichols, R Baldwin, Otridge and Son, J Sewell, F and C Rivington, T Payne, R Faulder, G and J Robinson, R Lea, J Nunn, W. Cuthell, T Egerton, Clarke and Son, Vernor and Hood, J Scatcherd, T Kay, Lackington Allen and Co., Carpenter and Co., Murray and Highley, Longman and Rees, Cadell Jun. and Davies, T. Bagster, J. Harding, and J Mawman.">…], published 1801, →OCLC, page 116:
      He spent every day ten hours in his closet, in reading his courses, dozing, clipping papers, or darning his stockings; which last he performed to admiration.
    • 1920 August 27, Katherine Mansfield , “The Wind Blows”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 141:
      Does Mother imagine for one moment that she is going to darn all those stockings knotted up on the quilt like a coil of snakes ? She's not.
Usage notes

Predominantly used to describe repairs to stockings or socks. The frequency of references to both follows their general prominence, references to stockings being more historically prominent, references to socks being more recently prominent.

Derived terms
Translations

Noun

darn (plural darns)

  1. A place mended by darning.
Further reading

Anagrams

Cornish

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *darn, from Proto-Celtic *darnos, from Proto-Indo-European *der- (to split, to separate). Cognate with Breton and Welsh darn.

Pronunciation

Noun

darn m (plural darnow)

  1. bit, fragment, piece
    Synonyms: pis, tamm
  2. extract, part

Derived terms

Mutation

Mutation of darn
unmutated soft aspirate hard mixed mixed after 'th
darn dharn unchanged tarn tarn tarn

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Cornish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Polish

Pronunciation

Noun

darn m inan

  1. (Near Masovian, Garwolin County) alternative form of darń

Further reading

  • Hieronim Łopaciński (1892) “darn”, in “Przyczynki do nowego słownika języka polskiego (słownik wyrazów ludowych z Lubelskiego i innych okolic Królestwa Polskiego”, in Prace Filologiczne (in Polish), volume 4, Warsaw: skł. gł. w Księgarni E. Wende i Ska, page 190

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh darn, from Proto-Brythonic *darn, from Proto-Celtic *darnos, *darnā, from Proto-Indo-European *der- (to split, separate). Cognate with Cornish darn, Breton darn, French darne (piece of fish) and, more distantly, Polish darń (sod).

Pronunciation

Noun

darn m or f (plural darnau)

  1. a piece, a fragment, a patch
    Synonym: pisyn
    Wyt ti eisiau darn arall o gacen?
    Do you want another piece of cake?
    Rwy wedi prynu darn o dir coedig.
    I've bought a patch of wooded land.
  2. a part
    Mae eisiau darn newydd i'r car.
    The car needs a new part.
  3. a coin
    Synonym: darn arian
    Oes gen ti ddarn punt?
    Have you got a pound coin?
  4. a passage
    Darllenwch y darn cyn ateb y cwestiynau.
    Read the passage before answering the questions.

Derived terms

Mutation

Mutated forms of darn
radical soft nasal aspirate
darn ddarn narn unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “darn”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
  • Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 90-1