barcode

American  

[bahr-kohd] / ˈbɑrˌkoʊd /

noun

1. a series of lines of varying width, printed, as on a container or product, that can be read by an optical scanner to determine charges for purchases, destinations for letters, etc.

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verb (used with object)

barcoded, barcoding

1. to put a barcode on.

Etymology

Origin of barcode

First recorded in 1960–65; bar ¹ (in the sense of “a band or strip”) + code

Example Sentences

Barcode adoption was so anemic that by the end of the 1970s only 1 percent of U.S. grocery stores had installed barcode scanners, which was well below what the industry had predicted.

From Slate • May 30, 2024

Merritt served as a middleman between Slater and the businessmen, who owned stakes in venues including the defunct Cafe Asia and Muse Nightclub, as well as Ultrabar, Echostage, Umaya and Barcode.

From Washington Times • Jun. 8, 2023

Leopard and Barcode was offered to the organisers of The Art of Banksy after the show, which opens on 21 October in Salford's MediaCityUK, was announced.

From BBC • Oct. 5, 2022

Brands like Poppi and Ruby are sold at mainstream supermarkets like Whole Foods; Erewhon, the California market chain, is an investor in Barcode.

From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2022

In addition to his work with the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Dr. Hebert heads the International Barcode of Life, which began in 2008 as a reference library of known species with their identifying sequences.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021