barbule

[ bahr-byool ]

/ ˈbɑr byul /

noun

a small barb.

any of the small processes fringing the barbs of a feather.

Nearby words

barbour, barbour jacket, barbu, barbuda, barbudo, barbule, barbusse, barbut, barbwire, barca, barcarole

Origin of barbule

From the Latin word barbula, dating back to 1825–35. See barb¹, -ule

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for barbule

barbule

/ (ˈbɑːbjuːl) /

noun

a very small barb

ornithol any of the minute hairs that project from a barb and in some feathers interlock by hooks and grooves, forming a flat vane

Word Origin for barbule

C19: from Latin barbula a little beard, from barba beard

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for barbule

barbule

[ bär′byōōl ]

A small barb or pointed projection, especially one that fringes the edges of the barbs of feathers.