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barbel

American  
[bahr-buhl] / ˈbɑr bəl /

noun

  1. a slender, external process on the jaw or other part of the head of certain fishes.

  2. any of various cyprinoid fishes of the genus Barbus, especially B. barbus, of European waters.


barbel British  
/ ˈbɑːbəl /

noun

  1. any of several slender tactile spines or bristles that hang from the jaws of certain fishes, such as the catfish and carp

  2. any of several European cyprinid fishes of the genus Barbus , esp B. barbus , that resemble the carp but have a longer body and pointed snout

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

barbel Scientific  
/ bärbəl /
  1. A slender, whiskerlike feeler extending from the head of certain fish, such as the catfish. It is used for touch and taste.


Etymology

Origin of barbel

1400–1450; late Middle English barbell < Middle French barbel ( French barbeau ) < Vulgar Latin *barbellus, equivalent to Late Latin barb ( us ) a barbel (fish) (akin to Latin barba beard ) + Latin -ellus -elle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Thompson-Herah joins another Jamaican, Veronica Campbell-Brown, and Barbel Wockel of the former East Germany as the third back-to-back champion in the 200.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 3, 2021

"You cannot build a new start on a lie," says Barbel Bohley, a leading civil rights activist from Eastern Germany.

From Time Magazine Archive

This year Piaget's associate, Psychologist Barbel Inhelder, is at Harvard to experiment in possible techniques.

From Time Magazine Archive

"It makes one fearful when, again, one person is taking on the three positions formerly held by Honecker," said Barbel Bohley, a co-founder of New Forum, the largest of the new reform groups.

From Time Magazine Archive

"And what happened to Tobias?" asked Barbel, who was listening with deep interest.

From Heidi by Spyri, Johanna