barbican
noun
an outwork of a fortified place, as a castle.
barbican
American
[bahr-bi-kuhn]
/ ˈbɑr bɪ kən /
noun
-
an outwork of a fortified place, as a castle.
-
a defensive outpost of any sort.
barbican
1
British
/ ˈbɑːbɪkən /
noun
-
a walled outwork or tower to protect a gate or drawbridge of a fortification
-
a watchtower projecting from a fortification
Barbican
2
British
/ ˈbɑːbɪkən /
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
He did not look back as he rode away from Bliant Castle—and Elaine, standing on the barbican tower, did not wave.
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
Elaine arrived at the yawning barbican, and Guenever kissed her coolly.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
The shade of the gatehouse was cool, but the barbican, with its close walls, was hottest of all.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Her "step back" means she will no longer star in Stephen Sondheim's stage musical Sunday in the Park with George opposite her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey at London's Barbican in 2027.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The 33-year-old Grande had been slated to star opposite her "Wicked" castmate Jonathan Bailey in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Sunday in The Park with George" in the summer of 2027 at London's Barbican theater.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
“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
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
