barb

¹ American  

[bahrb] / bɑrb /

noun

1. a point or pointed part projecting backward from a main point, as of a fishhook or arrowhead.

   Synonyms:

   spicule, prickle, snag, barbule, prong, spike, spur

2. an obviously or openly unpleasant or cutting remark.

3. Botany, Zoology. a hooked or sharp bristle.

4. Ornithology. one of the processes attached to the rachis of a feather.

5. one of a breed of domestic pigeons, similar to the carriers or homers, having a short, broad bill.

6. any of numerous, small, Old World cyprinid fishes of the genera Barbus and Puntius, often kept in aquariums.

7. Veterinary Pathology. Usually barbs. a small protuberance under the tongue in horses and cattle, especially when inflamed and swollen.

8. Also a linen covering for the throat and breast, formerly worn by women mourners and now only by some nuns.

9. Obsolete. a beard.

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verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with a barb or barbs.

barb ² American  

[bahrb] / bɑrb /

noun

1. one of a breed of horses raised originally in Barbary.

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barb ³ American  

[bahrb] / bɑrb /

noun

Slang.

1. barbiturate.

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BARB ¹ British  

/ bɑːb /

acronym

1. Broadcasters' Audience Research Board

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barb ² British  

/ bɑːb /

noun

1. a breed of horse of North African origin, similar to the Arab but less spirited

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barb ³ British  

/ bɑːb /

noun

1. a subsidiary point facing in the opposite direction to the main point of a fish-hook, harpoon, arrow, etc, intended to make extraction difficult

2. any of various pointed parts, as on barbed wire

3. a cutting remark; gibe

4. any of the numerous hairlike filaments that form the vane of a feather

5. a beardlike growth in certain animals

6. a hooked hair or projection on certain fruits

7. any small cyprinid fish of the genus Barbus (or Puntius ) and related genera, such as B. conchonius ( rosy barb )

8. (usually plural) any of the small fleshy protuberances beneath the tongue in horses and cattle

9. a white linen cloth forming part of a headdress extending from the chin to the upper chest, originally worn by women in the Middle Ages, now worn by nuns of some orders

10. obsolete a beard

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verb

1. (tr) to provide with a barb or barbs

barb ⁴ British  

/ bɑːb /

noun

1. a black kelpie See kelpie 1

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barb Scientific  

/ bärb /

1. A sharp point projecting backward, as on the stinger of a bee.

2. One of the hairlike branches on the shaft of a feather.

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Other Word Forms

• barbed adjective

Etymology

Origin of barb¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English barbe “beard, pleated cloth, barb (of an arrow),” from Middle French, Old French barbe, from Latin barba beard

Origin of barb²

First recorded in 1600–10; from French barbe, shortened form of Italian barbero “Barbary steed,” equivalent to Barber(ia) “Barbary” + -o masculine noun suffix

Origin of barb³

First recorded in 1955–60; by shortening

Explanation

Whether it is a spike on the wire atop a security fence or a mean remark someone said about you, a barb can hurt. When you encounter either kind of barb, you should stay away. Barb comes from the Latin word barba, which means “beard.” Beards offer protection from things like cold and wind, but as Mommy found out when she kissed Santa Claus, they can also be quite scratchy. Perhaps this is why, when it comes to talking about beards, some people speak nothing but barbs.

Example Sentences

One of Askell’s most striking traits is her protectiveness over Claude, which she believes is learning that users often want to trick it into making mistakes, insult it and barb it with skepticism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

The former president also tossed a barb at a Trump town hall on Monday, during which the candidate paused questions to bop along to his playlist for nearly 40 minutes.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2024

Or being able to get up and take a break without facing a barb from someone onstage — “that’s what my brother would have needed to stay through the whole show,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2024

This sounds rather like a barb at the biggest flashpoint of the leadership contest.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2024

Then I remember the barb is attached to the keg line, so all I got to do is pull the line in and put the barb back on the harpoon.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

Related Words

• criticism
• gibe
• insult
• sarcasm