barbed wire

American  

noun

1. a wire or strand of wires having small pieces of sharply pointed wire twisted around it at short intervals, used chiefly for fencing in livestock, keeping out trespassers, etc.

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barbed wire British  

noun

1. Also called (US): barbwire. strong wire with sharply pointed barbs at close intervals

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Etymology

Origin of barbed wire

First recorded in 1860–65

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Compare meaning

How does barbed-wire compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• razor wire vs. barbed wire

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barbed wire

Dolly Parton’s estate has claimed that the late country music icon’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, went to extraordinary lengths to evade being served with a summons—including allegedly draping barbed wire around the entrance to his property.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

Dolly Parton’s estate is alleging that Bryan Seaver, the country icon’s nephew and former head of security, used a “no trespassing” sign and barbed wire to avoid being served legal documents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

On the Estonian side, antitank obstacles called dragon’s teeth are splayed along a small section of the riverbank, fenced in by barbed wire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

I had expected a prison van but instead a small, grey Hyundai i30 hatchback drove past us at speed and into the secure compound behind a security gate and barbed wire perimeter.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

They all stop when they get to the line of elm trees with the single strand of barbed wire stretching between them.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

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Related Words

• fence
• fencing

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