barleycorn

[ bahr-lee-kawrn ]

/ ˈbɑr liˌkɔrn /

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noun

barley¹ (def. 1).

a grain of barley.

a unit of length equal to 1/3 inch (8.5 millimeters).

Also barley corn . a type of basket weave that produces an allover geometric pattern.

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Origin of barleycorn

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; see origin at barley¹, corn¹

Words nearby barleycorn

bar-le-duc, Barletta, barley, barley-bree, barley coal, barleycorn, barley sack, barley sandwich, barley stripe, barley sugar, barley water

Other definitions for barleycorn (2 of 2)

Barleycorn

[ bahr-lee-kawrn ]

/ ˈbɑr liˌkɔrn /

noun

John. John Barleycorn.

How to use barleycorn in a sentence

In John Barleycorn, Heinold and his bar are referenced a whooping 17 times.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I guess they have got a little too much John Barleycorn on board!
The Call of the Beaver Patrol|V. T. Sherman
A man cannot put up a good fight and entertain John Barleycorn at the same time.
The Boy Chums in the Florida Jungle|Wilmer M. Ely
This big, brawny world rover, who has been acquainted with alcohol from boyhood, comes out boldly against John Barleycorn.
The Range Boss|Charles Alden Seltzer

Well, Bill died six years ago from over-assiduous cultivation of John Barleycorn, and they hushed it up.
The Trail of '98|Robert W. Service
Another made the mistake of supposing that he could pin John Barleycorn's shoulders to the mat.
If You Don't Write Fiction|Charles Phelps Cushing

British Dictionary definitions for barleycorn

barleycorn

/ (ˈbɑːlɪˌkɔːn) /

noun

a grain of barley, or barley itself

an obsolete unit of length equal to one third of an inch

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