barbed wire

American  

noun

1. a wire or strand of wires having small pieces of sharply pointed wire twisted around it at short intervals, used chiefly for fencing in livestock, keeping out trespassers, etc.

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barbed wire British  

noun

1. Also called (US): barbwire.  strong wire with sharply pointed barbs at close intervals

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Etymology

Origin of barbed wire

First recorded in 1860–65

Compare meaning

How does barbed-wire compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• razor wire vs. barbed wire

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barbed wire

On the Estonian side, antitank obstacles called dragon’s teeth are splayed along a small section of the riverbank, fenced in by barbed wire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Across the lot in an unused patch of pavement, pops of bright orange and yellow reach skyward toward the imposing barbed wire that’s laced atop metal security bars.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

In Bidur, scores of anxious relatives peered through the barbed wire separating the football ground from the road, hoping to see the familiar face of a loved one.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

I had expected a prison van but instead a small, grey Hyundai i30 hatchback drove past us at speed and into the secure compound behind a security gate and barbed wire perimeter.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

We come to a stop, and I can see that there’s no visible entrance—it’s blocked off by a tall chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Related Words

• fence
• fencing