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.

---

barbed wire British  

noun

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

---

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

The demonstration in the capital Tirana followed an initial gathering in Zvernec on Saturday, where dozens of people, including environmental activists, protested over the installation of barbed wire blocking access to the beach.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

Tons of trash, ridden with glass and barbed wire, had to be removed from Nachusa in tractor trailers before the first of the bison could be reintroduced.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The group - consisting of about eight to ten tourists - reached the ground and made their way to the edge of the site, which was surrounded by a barbed wire fence.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

A collection of small, wall-mounted sculptures, he combined fragments of found and recycled steel and welded them into forms of chains, sharp tools, barbed wire and other metal objects.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Ignore this rule and you'll hesitate, botch it, and be caught like Steve McQueen on barbed wire in The Great Escape.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Related Words

• fence
• fencing