bar
noun
a relatively long, evenly shaped piece of some solid substance, as metal or wood, used as a guard or obstruction or for some mechanical purpose.
Showing results for "bar"
- a variation of barre.
bar
1 American
[bahr]
/ bɑr /
noun
-
a relatively long, evenly shaped piece of some solid substance, as metal or wood, used as a guard or obstruction or for some mechanical purpose.
the bars of a cage.
-
an oblong piece of any solid material.
a bar of soap;
a candy bar.
-
the amount of material in a bar.
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an ingot, lump, or wedge of gold or silver.
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a long ridge of sand, gravel, or other material near or slightly above the surface of the water at or near the mouth of a river or harbor entrance, often constituting an obstruction to navigation.
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anything that obstructs, hinders, or impedes; obstacle; barrier.
a bar to important legislation.
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a counter or place where beverages, especially liquors, or light meals are served to customers.
a snack bar;
a milk bar.
- Synonyms:
- cocktail lounge, saloon
-
a barroom or tavern.
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(in a home) a counter, small wagon, or similar piece of furniture for serving food or beverages.
a breakfast bar.
-
the legal profession.
-
the practicing members of the legal profession in a given community.
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any tribunal.
the bar of public opinion.
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a band or strip.
a bar of light.
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a railing in a courtroom separating the general public from the part of the room occupied by the judges, jury, attorneys, etc.
-
a crowbar.
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Music.
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Also called bar line. the line marking the division between two measures of music.
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the unit of music contained between two bar lines; measure.
-
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Ballet. barre.
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Law.
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an objection that nullifies an action or claim.
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a stoppage or defeat of an alleged right of action.
-
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Typography. a horizontal stroke of a type character, as of an A, H, t, and sometimes e.
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Architecture. (in tracery) a relatively long and slender upright of stone treated as a colonette or molded.
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Building Trades.
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an iron or steel shape.
I-bar.
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a muntin.
-
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Military. one of a pair of metal or cloth insignia worn by certain commissioned officers.
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bars, the transverse ridges on the roof of the mouth of a horse.
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a space between the molar and canine teeth of a horse into which the bit is fitted.
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(in a bridle) the mouthpiece connecting the cheeks.
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Heraldry. a horizontal band, narrower than a fess, that crosses the field of an escutcheon.
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Obsolete. a gateway capable of being barred.
verb (used with object)
-
bars,
present (3rd person singular)
-
barred,
past participle, past
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barring
present participle
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to equip or fasten with a bar or bars.
Bar the door before retiring for the night.
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to block by or as if by bars.
The police barred the exits in an attempt to prevent the thief 's escape.
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to prevent or hinder.
They barred her entrance to the club.
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to exclude or except.
He was barred from membership because of his reputation.
- Synonyms:
- drop
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to mark with bars, stripes, or bands.
preposition
idioms
-
behind bars, in jail.
We wanted the criminal behind bars.
-
at bar,
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before the court and being tried.
a case at bar.
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before all the judges of a court.
a trial at bar.
-
bar
2
American
[bahr]
/ bɑr /
noun
bar
3
American
[bahr]
/ bɑr /
noun
Physics.
-
a centimeter-gram-second unit of pressure, equal to one million dynes per square centimeter.
-
(formerly) microbar. b
BAR
4
American
abbreviation
bar.
5
American
abbreviation
-
barometer.
-
barometric.
-
barrel.
-
barrister.
Bar.
6
American
abbreviation
Bible.
B.Ar.
7
American
abbreviation
Bar-
1
British
/ bɑː, bar /
prefix
bar
2
British
/ bɑː /
noun
-
a rigid usually straight length of metal, wood, etc, that is longer than it is wide or thick, used esp as a barrier or as a structural or mechanical part
a bar of a gate
-
a solid usually rectangular block of any material
a bar of soap
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anything that obstructs or prevents
-
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an offshore ridge of sand, mud, or shingle lying near the shore and parallel to it, across the mouth of a river, bay, or harbour, or linking an island to the mainland
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an alluvial deposit in a stream, river, or lake
-
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a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served
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a counter, room, or establishment where a particular range of goods, food, services, etc, are sold
a coffee bar
a heel bar
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a narrow band or stripe, as of colour or light
-
a heating element in an electric fire
-
(in England) the area in a court of law separating the part reserved for the bench and Queen's Counsel from the area occupied by junior barristers, solicitors, and the general public See also Bar
-
the place in a court of law where the accused stands during his trial
the prisoner at the bar
-
a particular court of law
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(in the House of Lords and House of Commons) the boundary where nonmembers wishing to address either House appear and where persons are arraigned
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a plea showing that a plaintiff has no cause of action, as when the case has already been adjudicated upon or the time allowed for bringing the action has passed
-
anything referred to as an authority or tribunal
the bar of decency
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Also called: measure. music
-
a group of beats that is repeated with a consistent rhythm throughout a piece or passage of music. The number of beats in the bar is indicated by the time signature
-
another word for bar line
-
-
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insignia added to a decoration indicating a second award
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a strip of metal worn with uniform, esp to signify rank or as an award for service
-
-
a variant spelling of barre
-
sport See crossbar
-
gymnastics See horizontal bar
-
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part of the metal mouthpiece of a horse's bridle
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the space between the horse's teeth in which such a part fits
-
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either of two horny extensions that project forwards and inwards from the rear of the outer layer of a horse's hoof
-
See crowbar glazing-bar
-
lacemaking needlework another name for bride 2
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heraldry an ordinary consisting of a horizontal line across a shield, typically narrower than a fesse, and usually appearing in twos or threes
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maths a superscript line ⁻ placed over a letter symbol to indicate, for example, a mean value or the complex conjugate of a complex number
-
in prison
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informal cannot tolerate; dislike
verb
-
to fasten or secure with a bar
to bar the door
-
to shut in or out with or as if with barriers
to bar the entrances
-
to obstruct; hinder
the fallen tree barred the road
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(usually foll by from) to prohibit; forbid
to bar a couple from meeting
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(usually foll by from) to keep out; exclude
to bar a person from membership
-
to mark with a bar or bars
-
law to prevent or halt (an action) by showing that the claimant has no cause
-
to mark off (music) into bars with bar lines
preposition
-
except for
the best recital bar last night's
-
without exception
BAR
3
British
abbreviation
bar.
4
British
abbreviation
-
barometer
-
barometric
-
barrel (container or unit of measure)
-
barrister
bar
5
British
/ bɑː /
noun
bar
6
British
/ bɑː /
noun
interjection
Bar
7
British
/ bɑː /
noun
-
(in England and elsewhere) barristers collectively
-
the legal profession collectively
-
to become a barrister
-
to be appointed as a Queen's Counsel
bar
Scientific
/ bär /
-
A unit used to measure atmospheric pressure. It is equal to a force of 100,000 newtons per square meter of surface area, or 0.987 atmosphere.
-
An elongated, offshore ridge of sand, gravel, or other unconsolidated sediment, formed by the action of waves or long-shore currents and submerged at least during high tide. Bars are especially common near the mouths of rivers or estuaries.
-
A ridgelike mound of sand, gravel or silt formed within a stream, along its banks, or at its mouth. Bars form where the stream's current slows down, causing sediment to be deposited.
bar
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
Bar, barrier, barricade mean something put in the way of advance. Bar has the general meaning of hindrance or obstruction: a bar across the doorway. Barrier suggests an impediment to progress or a defensive obstruction (natural or artificial): a trade barrier; a mountain barrier; a road barrier. A barricade is especially a pile of articles hastily gathered or a rude earthwork for protection in street fighting: a barricade of wooden boxes.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
barsimple
-
barssimple
-
have barredperfect
-
has barredperfect
-
am barringprogressive
-
are barringprogressive
-
is barringprogressive
-
have been barringperfect progressive
-
has been barringperfect progressive
Past
-
barredsimple
-
had barredperfect
-
was barringprogressive
-
were barringprogressive
-
had been barringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bar1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English barre, barr, bar, from Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin barra “rod,” of obscure, perhaps pre-Latin, origin
Origin of bar2
First recorded in 1770–80; from Louisiana French bère, baire, apparently representing dialect pronunciation of French barre “barrier, rod”; see bar 1
Origin of bar3
First recorded in 1900–05; from Greek báros “weight”; cf. barometer, isobar
Explanation
If you bar a college student from entering a bar because he's too young to drink, it means that you prevent him from going into an establishment that serves alcoholic beverages. Bar is one of those handy words with many different meanings. There's the kind of bar where you order coffee or a drink. There is also the bar that a bartender keeps close at hand in case she needs a weapon when patrons get rowdy — like a long piece of metal. And when you bar something, you make it inaccessible in some way. The word bar comes from the French word barre, which means "beam, gate, or barrier."
Vocabulary lists containing bar
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Graham's Top 50 Words, in terms of relevance
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 1
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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.
See Examples For:
In the actor’s memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” which she published in May, she wrote that she and Hickerson met in 2018 at a West Hollywood bar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
In a sweeping, very entertaining investigative account, Dan Kois delves into the history and benefits of bar soap and why it’s worth fighting for.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
He knew the campaign was paying off when he overheard MPs in a parliamentary bar complaining about the flood of letters they were receiving on the subject.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Its most famous patron, Ernest Hemingway, sits in statue form alone at the bar in the musty, sweltering darkness.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
The hum of conversation around us dulls and washes out while the clattering sound of plates and glasses being stacked behind the bar gets sharper, making my ears ring.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
During his distinguished career, he looked after the culinary needs of some of the world's top drivers, working for Tyrrell, Jordan, BAR, Force India, Brawn, McLaren, Red Bull and Toro Rosso.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2023
Cargill asked the British company BAR Technologies to design a sail for cargo ships.
From NewsForKids.net ● Sep. 6, 2023
“These components will have to pass a BAR inspection with a certified state inspector and these vehicles will either need to be confirmed or corrected so that they’re street legal.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2023
BAR HARBOR, Maine — The National Park Service approved the first entrance fee increase in five years for Acadia National Park, officials said Tuesday.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 28, 2023
It is no matter; I am— MRS BAR.
From A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 7 by Various
"There will be another nacho bar. Grander, bigger. That's going to be my centre-piece," she said.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
ChatGPT calls it a “corporate intern with a search bar. It doesn’t write essays. It produces deliverables. If Claude is anxious to be ethical, Gemini is anxious to be useful to a product manager.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
“I was asking other people at the bar. I was like, ‘How long do you wait for a blind date?’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2025
"The method we currently use to assess vision in dogs is a very low bar. In humans, it would be equivalent to saying yes or no if a person was blind," says Mowat.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 18, 2024
“I want the cheese crackers and the peanut-butter crackers and an Oh Henry! bar. And also a pen. To write with.”
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
“First meeting the Primal Scream boys at the Milk Bar. Hot Soho streets and cold glasses of beer.”
From The Guardian ● Jul. 7, 2020
“The night was called Rattenbar: Rat Bar. And there he was,” Tillmans has said.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 3, 2018
“There he is, Bar. Terry. He’s the one,” Bush playfully told his wife.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 18, 2018
“There were always 15 to 20 people around in front of the Water Bar. You would have thought they were drinking vodka martinis or something,” said Steve Drew, director of Greensboro’s water system.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 20, 2016
Bar. was a friend of his, and that it is the prince’s eyes that meet with his.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Bar- raged by questions about rising interest rates, living costs and labor demands, he replied: "You don't expect us to walk across the street and tell you fellows that things are bad, do you?"
From Time Magazine Archive
To check his memory, Bar- ton asked if there had been a telephone in the White House office.
From Time Magazine Archive
A special prize was given every year to Miss Katherine Bar- low for her fabulous spiced peaches.
From "Holes" by Louis Sachar
Or will it be someone I would never suspect, Ser Bar- ristan or Grey Worm or Missandei?
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Actually, Stanley had been impressed when he first found out that his great-grandfather was robbed by Kissin' Kate Bar- low.
From "Holes" by Louis Sachar
She used the service to get a table at the hard-to-reserve Polo Bar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The trio performs Saturday at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach as part of a series of shows that will take the band to the U.K.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Created at the University of Reading, it was named the Reading 100 Chocolate Bar to mark the university's 100th anniversary.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Thirsty Beijingers have another option: free AI for customers at AGI Bar, which opened last summer as a hub for developers, founders and investors.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
There’s $213 left in Molly’s savings account from the minimum-wage job she had last summer scooping ice cream in Bar Harbor.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
Khan, 73, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced late last year to 17 years behind bars after being charged with corruption and other crimes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Cohen spent more than a year behind bars after pleading guilty in 2018 to tax and campaign-finance crimes and lying to Congress about Trump’s plans for a Trump Tower in Moscow, among other federal charges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
If you, too, have abandoned bars of soap in your bathroom, Dan’s spirited and incredibly thorough reporting might just make you think twice the next time you stock up.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
The company – which runs 792 pubs and bars across the UK – said that following complaints it has asked customers to switch their devices to silent or to use earphones.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
He takes out his cell and shows me a video of him tinkering on the piano, playing the first few bars.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Initially, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer barred U.S. planes and warships from using the island as a base for attacking Iran.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta quickly sued to stop the policy and San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Sachs barred nearly all its elements.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The regulation is expected to spur a surge in applications from people whose convictions automatically barred them from owning firearms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The lockup schedule means that investors who held pre-IPO stakes in SpaceX were barred from selling stock until at least Aug. 6, if not later.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
He then closed and barred the heavy inside shutters and drew the curtains together.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Goldman expects that the Fed will stand pat — barring any dramatic data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Gov. Gavin Newsom has two months to sign the bill into law, barring a veto that would be surprising because of the lack of opposition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
But "I cannot find any proper justification for" barring girls from secondary education, he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Frequently, when states pass laws barring transgender athletes from competition, the result can feel overwhelmingly personal to those affected, since the number of people excluded in a given state can be counted on your fingers.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
Mum stood in front of us, barring the way.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
