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• barre
  barre

  noun

  a handrail placed at hip height, used by a dancer to maintain balance during practice.
• barré
  barré

  noun

  a pattern of stripes or bands of color extending across the warp in woven and knitted fabrics.

barre

¹ American  

[bahr] / bɑr /

Or bar

noun

Ballet.

1. a handrail placed at hip height, used by a dancer to maintain balance during practice.

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barré ² American  

[bah-rey] / bɑˈreɪ /

noun

1. Textiles. a pattern of stripes or bands of color extending across the warp in woven and knitted fabrics.

2. Textiles. a streak in the filling direction when one or more picks are of a color different from that of adjacent picks.

3. Music. a technique of playing a chord on a stringed instrument by laying a finger across the strings at a particular fret, raising their pitch.

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barré ¹ British  

/ ˈbæreɪ /

noun

1. the act of laying the index finger over some or all of the strings of a guitar, lute, or similar instrument, so that the pitch of each stopped string is simultaneously raised Compare capo 1

2. the playing of chords in this manner

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verb

1. to execute (chords) in this manner

adverb

1. by using the barré

barre ² British  

/ bar /

noun

1. a rail at hip height used for ballet practice and leg exercises

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Etymology

Origin of barre¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Origin of barré²

< French: literally, barred, past participle of barrer, derivative of barre bar ¹

Explanation

The rail that a ballet dancer holds while warming up is called a barre. Ballet teachers also refer to these pre-dance exercises themselves as barre, or barre work. In French, the word barre means "bar," and that's just what it is: a sturdy, horizontal rail made of smooth wood and metal. Dancers place one hand on the barre to practice perfectly synchronized pliés, and they hold the barre with two hands to do deep backbends. Barre classes teach ballet and yoga techniques using the stability of a barre for holding poses and stretches.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barre

In addition to the barre work, we did a plank series, light push-ups and arm work, as well as glutes and core work on the mat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

One is familiar and increasingly specific: a good leotard, fleece-lined tights, an extra water bottle, Band-Aids for blisters, putty-colored flats for barre, a pair of low, strappy heels for salsa.

From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2026

I try not to schedule too much, but I could take a barre class or Pilates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025

Her classes were three hours long; you would do an hour at the barre, an hour on pointe and an hour on the floor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025

"Last one to the barre is a rotten egg!"

From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene