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

As protests spread to the capital Tirana, the barbed wire and construction vehicles disappeared, but the demonstrators' demands have crystallised.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Protesters clashed with private security guards on Saturday in the region after gathering to register their anger at newly installed barbed wire blocking access to the beach.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 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

Much like manufacturing barbed wire, making clothes in the 1860s was a time-consuming effort, with pretty much everything people wore sewn by hand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

We marched along a path between twisted rolls of barbed wire and through a wide gate into a compound of low tin-roofed barracks.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• fence
• fencing