barb

[ bahrb ]

/ bɑrb /

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See synonyms for: barb / barbed on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

an obviously or openly unpleasant or cutting remark.

Botany, Zoology. a hooked or sharp bristle.

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

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

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

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

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

Obsolete. a beard.

verb (used with object)

to furnish with a barb or barbs.

OTHER WORDS FOR barb

1 spur, spike, prong, barbule; snag, prickle, spicule.

See synonyms for barb on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of barb

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

Words nearby barb

Baranovichi, Bárány, Bárány test, barathea, baraza, barb, barba, barba amarilla, barbacan, Barbadian, Barbados

Other definitions for barb (2 of 3)

barb²

[ bahrb ]

/ bɑrb /

noun

one of a breed of horses raised originally in Barbary.

Origin of barb

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

Other definitions for barb (3 of 3)

barb³

[ bahrb ]

/ bɑrb /

noun Slang.

barbiturate.

Origin of barb

First recorded in 1955–60; by shortening

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use barb in a sentence

Wind barbs Wind barbs are the most visible portion of a station plot.
How to Read a Surface Weather Map|Dennis Mersereau|October 15, 2020|Outside Online
A wind barb contains half lines, full lines, and flags to denote wind speeds.
How to Read a Surface Weather Map|Dennis Mersereau|October 15, 2020|Outside Online
A patch with smaller barbs punctured the slim stem of a tomato plant.
Silk-based microneedles may help treat diseased plants|Kathryn Hulick|June 18, 2020|Science News For Students
To make the microneedle’s barbs, the researchers took advantage of a curious effect of this type of 3-D printing.
Micro-barbs could make shots less painful|Stephen Ornes|May 13, 2020|Science News For Students

On exposure to ultraviolet light, the barbs curved downward.
Micro-barbs could make shots less painful|Stephen Ornes|May 13, 2020|Science News For Students
Jon was a big fan and he spent hours planning responses to every possible barb.
Nine Things You Didn’t Know About Jon Stewart|Bill Schulz|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bills are piling up in an Iowa court case, Heki v. Bachmann, filed by another former Bachmann staffer, Barb Heki.
Exclusive: Congressional Ethics Probe Adds to Michele Bachmann’s Political Woes|John Avlon|March 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But every barb is delivered with a wink—and a chiseled, dashing smile.
Behind the Scenes at ‘The Soup’: Joel McHale, Brian Williams & More|Kevin Fallon|February 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Daily Pic: Barb Choit shows us old images as they fade to black – or cyan.
CPR For Dying Photos|Blake Gopnik|November 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Even an exchange on gun control enabled Obama to recycle a barb once used against John Kerry, who played Romney in debate prep.
Barack Obama Seizes the Upper Hand Over Mitt Romney at Second Debate|Howard Kurtz|October 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Accordingly he carries to court a beautiful barb, and requests his majesty's acceptance of it.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Some had one good edge, or a point or barb, while the other parts of the same stones showed only the natural form and fracture.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft
This time he had received a genuine wound, with poison upon the barb of the arrow that had pierced him.
Sevenoaks|J. G. Holland
He held in his hand a curious wooden spear with a loose barb tipped with the tusk of a walrus.
The Norsemen in the West|R.M. Ballantyne
In form it belongs to Class A of stemmed implements, is lozenge-shaped, without shoulder or barb.
The Swastika|Thomas Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for barb (1 of 4)

barb¹

/ (bɑːb) /

noun

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

any of various pointed parts, as on barbed wire

a cutting remark; gibe

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

a beardlike growth in certain animals

a hooked hair or projection on certain fruits

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

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

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

obsolete a beard

verb

(tr) to provide with a barb or barbs

Derived forms of barb

barbed, adjective

Word Origin for barb

C14: from Old French barbe beard, point, from Latin barba beard

British Dictionary definitions for barb (2 of 4)

barb²

/ (bɑːb) /

noun

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

Word Origin for barb

C17: from French barbe, from Italian barbero a Barbary (horse)

British Dictionary definitions for barb (3 of 4)

barb³

/ (bɑːb) /

noun

Australian a black kelpieSee kelpie 1

Word Origin for barb

C19: named after one that was named Barb after a winning racehorse

British Dictionary definitions for barb (4 of 4)

BARB

/ (bɑːb) /

n acronym for (in Britain)

Broadcasters' Audience Research Board

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

Scientific definitions for barb

barb

[ bärb ]

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

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

barb

OTHER WORDS FOR barb

Origin of barb

Words nearby barb

Other definitions for barb (2 of 3)

Origin of barb

Other definitions for barb (3 of 3)

Origin of barb

Words related to barb

How to use barb in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for barb (1 of 4)

Derived forms of barb

Word Origin for barb

British Dictionary definitions for barb (2 of 4)

Word Origin for barb

British Dictionary definitions for barb (3 of 4)

Word Origin for barb

British Dictionary definitions for barb (4 of 4)

Scientific definitions for barb