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Yearn \yearn\, v. i. [OE. yernen, [yogh]ernen, [yogh]eornen, AS geornian, gyrnan, fr. georn desirous, eager; akin to OS. gern desirous, girnean, gernean, to desire, D. gaarne gladly, willingly, G. gern, OHG. gerno, adv., gern, a., G. gier greed, OHG. gir[=i] greed, ger desirous, ger[=o]n to desire, G. begehren, Icel. girna to desire, gjarn eager, Goth faíhuga['i]rns covetous, gaírnjan to desire, and perhaps to Gr. chai`rein to rejoice, be glad, Skr. hary to desire, to like. ]

  1. To be filled with longing desire; to be harassed or rendered uneasy with longing, or feeling the want of a thing; to strain with emotions of affection or tenderness; to long; to be eager
    Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother; and he sought where to weep. --Gen. xliii 30
    Your mother's heart yearns towards you. --Addison
  2. Desire strongly or persistently [syn: hanker, long]
  3. Have a yen for [syn: long, ache, yen, pine, languish]
  4. Have affection for; feel tenderness for

Yearn \yearn\ (y[~e]rn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Yearned; p. pr. & vb. n. Yearning.] [Also earn, ern; probably a corruption of OE. ermen to grieve, AS. ierman, yrman, or geierman, geyrman, fr. earm wretched, poor; akin to D. & G. arm, Icel. armr, Goth. arms. The y- in English is perhaps due to the AS. ge.]

To pain; to grieve; to vex; to be distressed; to mourn. [Obs.]
Falstaff he is dead, and we must yearn therefore. --Shak
She laments, sir, for it, that it would yearn your heart to see it. --Shak
It yearns me not if men my garments wear. --Shak

Yearn \yearn\, v. i. & t. [See Yearnings.]

To curdle, as milk. [Scot.]
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