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

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Compare meaning

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

• razor wire vs. barbed wire

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barbed wire

“Eventually, Mr. Seaver’s residence had a no-trespassing sign in the front yard and barbed wire draped across the handrails leading to the front door,” the filing alleged.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

Higdon rolled under a barbed wire fence to escape.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Before Sánchez took office, he railed against the barbed wire fence crisscrossing Ceuta’s ridgeline, claiming Spain had a moral duty toward refugees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Working under the bridge's blue lights, dozens of Taiwanese army combat engineers assisted by cranes and trucks set up layers of concrete and steel barriers, barbed wire and Hesco walls along the nearly one-kilometre-long bridge.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

I think of the new life we’ll have—a life of peace and happiness on the far side of the barbed wire fence, away from everything that is happening in Syria.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

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Related Words

• fence
• fencing

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