Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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
   (see {Y-}).]
   To pain; to grieve; to vex. [Obs.] ``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.
   To be pained or distressed; to grieve; to mourn. [Obs.]
   ``Falstaff he is dead, and we must yearn therefore.'' --Shak.

Yearn \Yearn\, v. i. & t. [See {Yearnings}.]
   To curdle, as milk. [Scot.]

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.
   fa['i]huga['i]rns covetous, ga['i]rnjan to desire, and
   perhaps to Gr. chai`rein to rejoice, be glad, Skr. hary to
   desire, to like. [root]33.]
   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.

Source : WordNet®

yearn
     v 1: desire strongly or persistently [syn: {hanker}, {long}]
     2: have a desire for something or someone who is not present;
        "She ached for a cigarette"; "I am pining for my lover"
        [syn: {ache}, {yen}, {pine}, {languish}]
     3: have affection for; feel tenderness for