bar

[ bahr ]

/ bɑr /

noun

a relatively long, evenly shaped piece of some solid substance, as metal or wood, used as a guard or obstruction or for some mechanical purpose: the bars of a cage.

an oblong piece of any solid material: a bar of soap; a candy bar.

the amount of material in a bar.

an ingot, lump, or wedge of gold or silver.

a long ridge of sand, gravel, or other material near or slightly above the surface of the water at or near the mouth of a river or harbor entrance, often constituting an obstruction to navigation.

anything that obstructs, hinders, or impedes; obstacle; barrier: a bar to important legislation.

a counter or place where beverages, especially liquors, or light meals are served to customers: a snack bar; a milk bar.

a barroom or tavern.

(in a home) a counter, small wagon, or similar piece of furniture for serving food or beverages: a breakfast bar.

the legal profession.

the practicing members of the legal profession in a given community.

any tribunal: the bar of public opinion.

a band or strip: a bar of light.

a railing in a courtroom separating the general public from the part of the room occupied by the judges, jury, attorneys, etc.

a crowbar.

Music.

Also called bar line. the line marking the division between two measures of music.
double bar.
the unit of music contained between two bar lines; measure.

Ballet. barre.

Law.

an objection that nullifies an action or claim.
a stoppage or defeat of an alleged right of action.

Typography. a horizontal stroke of a type character, as of an A, H, t, and sometimes e.

Architecture. (in tracery) a relatively long and slender upright of stone treated as a colonette or molded.

Building Trades.

an iron or steel shape: I-bar.
a muntin.

Military. one of a pair of metal or cloth insignia worn by certain commissioned officers.

bars, the transverse ridges on the roof of the mouth of a horse.

a space between the molar and canine teeth of a horse into which the bit is fitted.

(in a bridle) the mouthpiece connecting the cheeks.

bride²(def 1).

Heraldry. a horizontal band, narrower than a fess, that crosses the field of an escutcheon.

Obsolete. a gateway capable of being barred.

verb (used with object), barred, bar·ring.

to equip or fasten with a bar or bars: Bar the door before retiring for the night.

to block by or as if by bars: The police barred the exits in an attempt to prevent the thief's escape.

to prevent or hinder: They barred her entrance to the club.

to exclude or except: He was barred from membership because of his reputation.

to mark with bars,ŋ stripes, or bands.

preposition

except; omitting; but: bar none.

Idioms for bar

at bar, Law.

before the court and being tried: a case at bar.
before all the judges of a court: a trial at bar.

behind bars, in jail: We wanted the criminal behind bars.

Origin of bar

1175–1225; Middle English barre < Old French < Vulgar Latin *barra rod, of obscure, perhaps of pre-Latin orig.

SYNONYMS FOR bar

1 rod, pole.

5 shoal, reef, bank, sand bar.

6 deterrent, stop.

7 saloon, café; cocktail lounge.

30, 31 obstruct, deter, impede, barricade.

32 eliminate.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bar ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for bar

6. Bar, barrier, barricade mean something put in the way of advance. Bar has the general meaning of hindrance or obstruction: a bar across the doorway. Barrier suggests an impediment to progress or a defensive obstruction (natural or artificial): a trade barrier; a mountain barrier; a road barrier. A barricade is especially a pile of articles hastily gathered or a rude earthwork for protection in street fighting: a barricade of wooden boxes.

OTHER WORDS FROM bar

bar·less, adjective bar·ra·ble, adjective un·bar·ra·ble, adjective

Words nearby bar

baptista, baptistery, baptistry, baptists, baptize, bar, bar billiards, bar car, bar cart, bar chart, bar clamp

Definition for bar (2 of 9)

bar ²

[ bahr ]

/ bɑr /

noun

mosquito net.

Origin of bar

1770–80; < Louisiana French bère, baire, apparently representing dial. pronunciation of French barre barrier, bar¹

Definition for bar (3 of 9)

bar ³

[ bahr ]

/ bɑr /

noun Physics.

a centimeter-gram-second unit of pressure, equal to one million dynes per square centimeter.

(formerly) microbar. Abbreviation: b

Origin of bar

1900–05; < Greek báros weight; cf. barometer, isobar

Definition for bar (4 of 9)

BAR

Browning automatic rifle.

Definition for bar (5 of 9)

baro-

a combining form meaning “pressure,” used in the formation of compound words: barograph.

Also especially before a vowel, bar-.

Origin of baro-

combining form of Greek báros weight; akin to Sanskrit guru, Latin gravis, Gothic kaurus heavy

Definition for bar (6 of 9)

barre

or bar

[ bahr ]

/ bɑr /

noun Ballet.

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

Origin of barre

First recorded in 1945–50

Definition for bar (7 of 9)

bar.

barometer.

barometric.

barrel.

barrister.

Definition for bar (8 of 9)

Bar.

Bible.

Baruch.

Definition for bar (9 of 9)

B.Ar.

Bachelor of Architecture.

Example sentences from the Web for bar

“That was bar first made him fall in love with bars,” Sismondo says.

The Bars That Made America Great |Nina Strochlic |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The bar also claims that it hosted the first-ever poetry slam 28 years ago.

The Bars That Made America Great |Nina Strochlic |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
A sepia photo shows him as a young boy, head in his hands, with a large book open at a bar table.

The Bars That Made America Great |Nina Strochlic |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
His later books drew heavily from experiences and people he encountered at the bar, including the cruel captain in The Sea-Wolf.

The Bars That Made America Great |Nina Strochlic |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Visitors today can keep watch over the scene in the booth at the end of the bar that Capone and his cronies once occupied.

The Bars That Made America Great |Nina Strochlic |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The bar fell aside and he pulled a .45 pistol from its clamp.

The Syndic |C.M. Kornbluth
When this is done, how happy will all be to remove every bar and ban!

Charles Sumner; his complete works, volume 18 (of 20) |Charles Sumner
He studied law and was admitted to the bar in Paris, Kentucky.

Fifty Years In The Northwest |William Henry Carman Folsom
Saxham, leaving a banknote lying on the counter, wheeled abruptly, and went out of the bar.

The Dop Doctor |Clotilde Inez Mary Graves
So Devil go an' lock up the gal in a bar, an' lef' the old lady to watch if the gal is going to get 'way.

Jamaican Song and Story |Walter Jekyll

British Dictionary definitions for bar (1 of 9)

bar ¹

/ (bɑː) /

noun

a rigid usually straight length of metal, wood, etc, that is longer than it is wide or thick, used esp as a barrier or as a structural or mechanical part a bar of a gate

a solid usually rectangular block of any material a bar of soap

anything that obstructs or prevents

an offshore ridge of sand, mud, or shingle lying near the shore and parallel to it, across the mouth of a river, bay, or harbour, or linking an island to the mainland
US and Canadian an alluvial deposit in a stream, river, or lake

a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served

a counter, room, or establishment where a particular range of goods, food, services, etc, are sold a coffee bar; a heel bar

a narrow band or stripe, as of colour or light

a heating element in an electric fire

(in England) the area in a court of law separating the part reserved for the bench and Queen's Counsel from the area occupied by junior barristers, solicitors, and the general public See also Bar

the place in a court of law where the accused stands during his trial the prisoner at the bar

a particular court of law

British (in the House of Lords and House of Commons) the boundary where nonmembers wishing to address either House appear and where persons are arraigned

a plea showing that a plaintiff has no cause of action, as when the case has already been adjudicated upon or the time allowed for bringing the action has passed

anything referred to as an authority or tribunal the bar of decency

Also called: measure music

a group of beats that is repeated with a consistent rhythm throughout a piece or passage of music. The number of beats in the bar is indicated by the time signature
another word for bar line

British insignia added to a decoration indicating a second award
US a strip of metal worn with uniform, esp to signify rank or as an award for service

a variant spelling of barre

sport See crossbar

gymnastics See horizontal bar

part of the metal mouthpiece of a horse's bridle
the space between the horse's teeth in which such a part fits

either of two horny extensions that project forwards and inwards from the rear of the outer layer of a horse's hoof

See crowbar, glazing-bar

lacemaking needlework another name for bride 2

heraldry an ordinary consisting of a horizontal line across a shield, typically narrower than a fesse, and usually appearing in twos or threes

maths a superscript line ⁻ placed over a letter symbol to indicate, for example, a mean value or the complex conjugate of a complex number

behind bars in prison

won't have a bar of or wouldn't have a bar of Australian and NZ informal cannot tolerate; dislike

verb bars, barring or barred (tr)

to fasten or secure with a bar to bar the door

to shut in or out with or as if with barriers to bar the entrances

to obstruct; hinder the fallen tree barred the road

(usually foll by from) to prohibit; forbid to bar a couple from meeting

(usually foll by from) to keep out; exclude to bar a person from membership

to mark with a bar or bars

law to prevent or halt (an action) by showing that the claimant has no cause

to mark off (music) into bars with bar lines

preposition

except for the best recital bar last night's

bar none without exception

Word Origin for bar

C12: from Old French barre, from Vulgar Latin barra (unattested) bar, rod, of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for bar (2 of 9)

bar ²

/ (bɑː) /

noun

a cgs unit of pressure equal to 10 6 dynes per square centimetre. 1 bar is equivalent to 10 5 newtons per square metre

Word Origin for bar

C20: from Greek baros weight

British Dictionary definitions for bar (3 of 9)

bar ³

/ (bɑː) Southwest English dialect /

noun

immunity from being caught or otherwise penalized in a game

interjection

a cry for such immunity

Word Origin for bar

variant of barley ²

British Dictionary definitions for bar (4 of 9)

Bar

/ (bɑː) /

noun the Bar

(in England and elsewhere) barristers collectively

US the legal profession collectively

be called to the Bar British to become a barrister

be called within the Bar British to be appointed as a Queen's Counsel

British Dictionary definitions for bar (5 of 9)

BAR

abbreviation for

Browning Automatic Rifle

British Dictionary definitions for bar (6 of 9)

bar.

abbreviation for

barometer

barometric

barrel (container or unit of measure)

barrister

British Dictionary definitions for bar (7 of 9)

baro-

combining form

indicating weight or pressure barometer

Word Origin for baro-

from Greek baros weight; related to Latin gravis heavy

British Dictionary definitions for bar (8 of 9)

barre

/ French (bar) /

noun

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

Word Origin for barre

literally: bar

British Dictionary definitions for bar (9 of 9)

barré

/ (ˈbæreɪ) /

noun

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

the playing of chords in this manner

verb

to execute (chords) in this manner

adverb

by using the barré

Word Origin for barré

C19: from French, from barrer bar 1

Medical definitions for bar (1 of 2)

bar

[ bär ]

n.

The international unit of pressure equal to 1 megadyne (106 dyne) per square centimeter or 0.987 atmosphere.

A metal segment of greater length than width which serves to connect two or more parts of a removable partial denture.

A segment of tissue or a tight cellular junction that serves to constrict the passage of fluid, usually urine.

Medical definitions for bar (2 of 2)

baro-

pref.

Weight; pressure:baroreceptor.

Scientific definitions for bar

bar

[ bär ]

A unit used to measure atmospheric pressure. It is equal to a force of 100,000 newtons per square meter of surface area, or 0.987 atmosphere.

An elongated, offshore ridge of sand, gravel, or other unconsolidated sediment, formed by the action of waves or long-shore currents and submerged at least during high tide. Bars are especially common near the mouths of rivers or estuaries.

A ridgelike mound of sand, gravel or silt formed within a stream, along its banks, or at its mouth. Bars form where the stream's current slows down, causing sediment to be deposited.

Idioms and Phrases with bar

bar

In addition to the idiom beginning with bar

bare bones
bare hands, with one's
bare necessities
bare one's soul
bare one's teeth
barge in
bar none

also see:

behind bars
no holds barred

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bar

noun

verb (used with object), barred, bar·ring.

preposition

Idioms for bar

Origin of bar

SYNONYMS FOR bar

synonym study for bar

OTHER WORDS FROM bar

Words nearby bar

Definition for bar (2 of 9)

noun

Origin of bar

Definition for bar (3 of 9)

noun Physics.

Origin of bar

Definition for bar (4 of 9)

Definition for bar (5 of 9)

Origin of baro-

Definition for bar (6 of 9)

or bar

noun Ballet.

Origin of barre

Definition for bar (7 of 9)

Definition for bar (8 of 9)

Bible.

Definition for bar (9 of 9)

Words related to bar

Example sentences from the Web for bar

British Dictionary definitions for bar (1 of 9)

noun

verb bars, barring or barred (tr)

preposition

Word Origin for bar

British Dictionary definitions for bar (2 of 9)

noun

Word Origin for bar

British Dictionary definitions for bar (3 of 9)

noun

interjection

Word Origin for bar

British Dictionary definitions for bar (4 of 9)

noun the Bar

British Dictionary definitions for bar (5 of 9)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for bar (6 of 9)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for bar (7 of 9)

combining form

Word Origin for baro-

British Dictionary definitions for bar (8 of 9)

noun

Word Origin for barre

British Dictionary definitions for bar (9 of 9)

noun

verb

adverb

Word Origin for barré

Medical definitions for bar (1 of 2)

n.

Medical definitions for bar (2 of 2)

pref.

Scientific definitions for bar

Idioms and Phrases with bar