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DictionarydarnFabric repair
verb / noun

darn

DAHRN/dɑːrn/

Repairing a hole in fabric with stitches, or the resulting repair.

The man darns the sock, weaving thread across the hole.

Close-up of an older man's hands darning a sock: a needle weaves new thread across a clearly visible hole, with part of the gap already filled by a small grid of interlaced repair stitches.
Etymology
darnEnglishto mend by interweaving thread

The sewing word's deeper origin is unknown. It is separate from the euphemism for damn.

In context

Libranima432:10
You must mend that tear, you must take your needle and darn it as I showed you,
Crime and Punishment - Dostoevsky (Illustrated Audiobook) Part 1 of 2

More examples

  • I darned the worn heel instead of throwing the sock away.
  • A neat darn covers the tiny hole in his sweater.
  • Several darns show where the old blanket has been repaired.

Forms

darn · darns · darned · darning

Similar words

mend
Means repair generally, without specifying how stitches fill a hole.
patch
Usually means covering damage with a separate piece of material.