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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
any tribunal.
the bar of public opinion.
-
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.
-
Music.
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Also called bar line. the line marking the division between two measures of music.
-
the unit of music contained between two bar lines; measure.
-
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Ballet. barre.
-
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.
-
Building Trades.
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an iron or steel shape.
I-bar.
-
a muntin.
-
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Military. one of a pair of metal or cloth insignia worn by certain commissioned officers.
-
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.
-
(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
-
to equip or fasten with a bar or bars.
Bar the door before retiring for the night.
-
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,
-
before the court and being tried.
a case at bar.
-
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 /
noun
Bar-
2
British
/ bɑː, bar /
prefix
BAR
3
British
abbreviation
bar
4
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
-
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
-
an alluvial deposit in a stream, river, or lake
-
-
a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
(usually foll by from) to prohibit; forbid
to bar a couple from meeting
-
(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.
5
British
abbreviation
-
barometer
-
barometric
-
barrel (container or unit of measure)
-
barrister
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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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:
She dislikes brunch and instead prefers having lunch by herself at the bar of a restaurant, where she can chat with the bartender and eavesdrop on others’ conversations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
“If you look at your outfit and you say to yourself, ‘Oh, this will segue nicely to a sports bar, it's probably not the right outfit for the office.’”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
When the bar for the films themselves is so dreadfully low, I can’t imagine a Marvel fan getting upset about the technical specs of their repetitive, predictable, formulaic, lab-made, half-finished superhero movies.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Newsom signed a slew of new bills, including one that would bar certain online platforms from providing an ‘addictive feature’ to users under 16 years old.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
You adjust your shoulders, swing back, lift your legs, hook on the bar.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
BAR was started by Ben Ainslie, a champion sailor.
From NewsForKids.net ● Sep. 6, 2023
John Cooper, of BAR Technologies, is more bullish though, saying the future for wind wings is "very rosy."
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 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
“Then we went to the far north side of Chicago to a Lithuanian neighborhood to play some grizzled old guys upstairs at the top of an old, smoky bar. They creamed us.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
"There will be another nacho bar. Grander, bigger. That's going to be my centre-piece," she said.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
“That is an incredibly high bar. But obviously, signing Shohei, and what that potentially means as we look out, definitely increases the chances of that.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
"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
“Condiment bar. Bulletin board. He must’ve known to put it up here since I was wearing that Dream & Bean shirt.”
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
“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
“We can eat at the Oyster Bar. You like that. C’mon.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
To check his memory, Bar- ton asked if there had been a telephone in the White House office.
From Time Magazine Archive
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
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
With a little effort and some decent publicity, Widow’s Bay could be the next Bar Harbor or Martha’s Vineyard!
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Pro tip: Birch also hosts Pepe’s Oyster Bar, a monthly pop-up named for chef Kyle Knall’s late father, featuring a rotating menu of hot and cold oyster and seafood preparations.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
One of the boys also hands over a Mars Bar to be deep fried - a Scottish chippy delicacy.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Like the American Bar Association, the American Psychological Association is a professional association with an in-house accreditation arm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
It happened as he was clamping and lugging Mars Bar down the gauntlet of Cobras, trying to keep him alive — and what was Mars Bar doing?
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
Soybean oil appears in salad dressings, mayonnaise, baked goods, infant formula, snacks and fried foods; soy lecithin emulsifies chocolate and bread; and soy protein fortifies energy bars, breakfast cereals and canned soup.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
“It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty,” Chesney said Saturday, dropping bars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
New Yorkers famously went out to the bars that very night, refusing to sit scared in our apartments.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
For Julie Dunne, the experience of being intimidated while performing eventually led her to stop DJing in bars.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Also contained in his report was Captain Perreira’s description of the bars that the vessel was carrying as ballast to keep the ship steady while transporting such a large human cargo to Brazil.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
In February, CBS lawyers barred “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” from running its interview with him, so the show posted it online.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
Teachers are not barred from using AI on district devices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Laura Overdeck is barred from testifying or introducing witnesses after the court found she obtained confidential emails from her husband’s laptop, among other violations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The whistleblower also said that Postal Service leaders ordered employees to resume work on the system about a month ago, while it was barred by the court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The three brothers went to their respective rooms and barred the doors.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
Nearly everyone standing behind the podium, barring a city council member or two, held a similar picture.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Australia implemented legislation barring children from social media platforms in December, with the UK, France and others following suit.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
According to polls, they attract more negative opinions than any other royals, barring his scandal-plagued uncle, ex-prince Andrew.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Goldman expects that the Fed will stand pat — barring any dramatic data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Seemingly from out of nowhere a mouse leaped, barring Matthias’s path!
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
