barber

¹ American  

[bahr-ber] / ˈbɑr bər /

noun

1. a person whose occupation it is to cut and dress the hair of customers, especially men, and to shave or trim the beard.

2. frost smoke.

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verb (used with object)

1. to trim or dress the hair or beard of.

Barber ² American  

[bahr-ber] / ˈbɑr bər /

noun

1. Samuel, 1910–81, U.S. composer.

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barber ¹ British  

/ ˈbɑːbə /

noun

1. a person whose business is cutting men's hair and shaving or trimming beards

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verb

1. to cut the hair of

2. to shave or trim the beard of

Barber ² British  

/ ˈbɑːbə /

noun

1. Samuel . 1910–81, US composer: his works include an Adagio for Strings , adapted from the second movement of his string quartet No. 1 (1936) and the opera Vanessa (1958)

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Other Word Forms

• unbarbered adjective
• well-barbered adjective

Etymology

Origin of barber

1275–1325; Middle English barbour < Anglo-French; Old French barbeor, equivalent to barb ( e ) (< Latin barba beard) + -eor < Latin -ātōr- -ator

Example Sentences

The barber chair, the locus of Sweeney’s revenge on the heartless cruelty of a Victorian London that wrecked his life, isn’t the elaborate contraption of other productions.

From Los Angeles Times

A beauty salon, including barbers, pedicurists and manicurists, is also on hand, along with a laundry service and dry cleaners.

From BBC

It ran in the barber shop and streaked up one side of the chair where Mr. Perry was shaving someone.

From Literature

He also got a haircut at a barbers in a township in the capital, Lusaka - to the delight of thousands of people who flocked there as news spread on social media.

From BBC

That’s one reason I often set books in fictional towns — if I put a coffee shop where there’s really a barber shop, local readers notice, and I want everyone fully immersed.

From Salon