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• barbican
  barbican

  noun

  an outwork of a fortified place, as a castle.
• Barbican
  Barbican

  noun

  a building complex in the City of London: includes residential developments and the Barbican Arts Centre (completed 1982) housing concert and exhibition halls, theatres, cinemas, etc

barbican

American  

[bahr-bi-kuhn] / ˈbɑr bɪ kən /

noun

1. an outwork of a fortified place, as a castle.

2. a defensive outpost of any sort.

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barbican ¹ British  

/ ˈbɑːbɪkən /

noun

1. a walled outwork or tower to protect a gate or drawbridge of a fortification

2. a watchtower projecting from a fortification

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Barbican ² British  

/ ˈbɑːbɪkən /

noun

1. a building complex in the City of London: includes residential developments and the Barbican Arts Centre (completed 1982) housing concert and exhibition halls, theatres, cinemas, etc

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Etymology

Origin of barbican

1250–1300; Middle English barbecan, barbican < Old French barbacane or Medieval Latin barbacana, perhaps ≪ Persian bālāḥāna terrace over a roof, upper floor, altered by association with Latin barba beard, a beard marking the front or face of a thing

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barbican Barbican

If the barbican fell, the castle still had two courtyards, or baileys, from which last gasp fighting could be carried out.

From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2019

Elaine arrived at the yawning barbican, and Guenever kissed her coolly.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

The stone part of the drawbridge with its barbican and the bartizans of the gatehouse are in good repair.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

And suddenly the madness was behind and they were clattering across the cobbled square that fronted on the castle barbican.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

There was a large hidden trap-door in the floor of the barbican, which would let them into the moat after all.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

“There’s this apocryphal interpretation of Mozart that suggests the music just fell into his lap,” Sharpe says, speaking on a recent Friday evening outside London’s Barbican.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

Even the once derided, now celebrated Brutalist Barbican included a plethora of glass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

A London reboot is rumoured for the Barbican Theatre in 2027, but the venue is yet to confirm.

From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026

BBC Newsbeat has approached the Barbican Theatre for comment.

From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026

As they walked the rest of the way to the Barbican Centre in the drizzle, Forrest held the umbrella over them both.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart