darn

• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɑɹn/
• (New England) IPA^(key): /daːn/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɑːn/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)n

A minced oath of damn.

darn (not comparable)

1. (euphemistic) Damn.

• See Thesaurus:damned

• darn tootin'

darn (not comparable)

1. (degree, euphemistic) Damned.
   • 1948, Cole Porter (lyrics and music), “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.

darn

1. (euphemistic) Damn.

• See Thesaurus:dammit

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

1. (transitive) Euphemism of damn.

• dang
• damn

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).

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 and John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], volume V, new edition, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, OCLC 1184656746, 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 [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “The Wind Blows”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, OCLC 561951956, 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.

Predominantly used to described 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.

• darning needle

darn (plural darns)

1. A place mended by darning.

• Darning on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• DNAR, DNRA, Nard, RAND, Rand, andr-, nard, rDNA, rand, rdna

Compare Cornish darn, Breton darn; From Proto-Celtic *dar-nā < Proto-Indo-European *der-. Cognate with Ancient Greek δέρο (déro).

darn m or f (plural darnau)

1. a piece

• 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