bar

¹bar

noun, often attributive \ˈbär\

Definition of BAR

1

a : a straight piece (as of wood or metal) that is longer than it is wide and has any of various uses (as for a lever, support, barrier, or fastening)

b : a solid piece or block of material that is longer than it is wide <a bar of gold> <a candy bar>

c : a usually rigid piece (as of wood or metal) longer than it is wide that is used as a handle or support; especially : a handrail used by ballet dancers to maintain balance while exercising

2

: something that obstructs or prevents passage, progress, or action: as

a : the destruction of an action or claim in law; also : a plea or objection that effects such destruction

b : an intangible or nonphysical impediment

c : a submerged or partly submerged bank (as of sand) along a shore or in a river often obstructing navigation

3

a (1) : the railing in a courtroom that encloses the place about the judge where prisoners are stationed or where the business of the court is transacted in civil cases (2) : court, tribunal (3) : a particular system of courts (4) : an authority or tribunal that hands down judgment

b (1) : the barrier in the English Inns of Court that formerly separated the seats of the benchers or readers from the body of the hall occupied by the students (2) : the whole body of barristers or lawyers qualified to practice in the courts of any jurisdiction (3) : the profession of barrister or lawyer

4

: a straight stripe, band, or line much longer than it is wide: as

a : one of two or more horizontal stripes on a heraldic shield

b : a metal or embroidered strip worn on a usually military uniform especially to indicate rank (as of a company officer) or service

5

a : a counter at which food or especially alcoholic beverages are served

b : barroom

c : shop 2b

6

a : a vertical line across the musical staff before the initial measure accent

b : measure

7

: a lace and embroidery joining covered with buttonhole stitch for connecting various parts of the pattern in needlepoint lace and cutwork

8

: standard <wants to raise the bar for approving new drugs>

— behind bars

: in jail

Origin of BAR

Middle English barre, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *barra

First Known Use: 12th century

Rhymes with BAR

ar, are, barre, car, char, czar, far, gar, gnar, guar, jar, Lar, mar, moire, noir, our, par, parr, Parr, R, Saar, scar, spar, SPAR, star, tar, tahr, yare

²bar

transitive verb

barred bar·ring

Definition of BAR

1

a : to fasten with a bar

b : to place bars across to prevent ingress or egress <bar the door>

2

: to mark with bars : stripe

3

a : to confine or shut in by or as if by bars

b : to set aside : rule out <did not bar the possibility of further measures>

c : to keep out : exclude <barring him from the club>

4

a : to interpose legal objection to or to the claim of

b : prevent, forbid <a decision barring his participation>

Examples of BAR

1. He barred the door as soon as he got in.
2. All the windows and doors were barred.
3. A herd of goats was barring the road.
4. Nothing barred them from meeting together.
5. The judge will bar the jurors from talking to reporters.
6. A federal court has barred the group from using the name.
7. The decision bars the possibility of additional development in the area.
8. forms of punishment barred by the Constitution

First Known Use of BAR

13th century

Related to BAR

Synonyms

band, stripe, streak

Antonyms

allow, let, permit, suffer

Related Words

blaze

Near Antonyms

approve, endorse (also indorse), sanction; authorize, license (also licence), warrant; abet, advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, further, nourish, nurture, promote, support; bid, command, order; abide, bear, brook, countenance, endure, tolerate

³bar

preposition

Definition of BAR

: except <the country's most popular actor, bar none>

Examples of BAR

1. They have lost every match, bar one.
2. <everyone in the company is invited, bar none>

First Known Use of BAR

1714

Related to BAR

Synonyms

apart from, aside from, except, barring, beside, besides, but, except for, excluding, exclusive of, other than, outside, outside of, save, saving

⁴bar

noun

Definition of BAR

: a unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals

Origin of BAR

German, from Greek baros

First Known Use: 1910

⁵bar

abbreviation

Definition of BAR

1

barometer; barometric

2

barrel

Bar

abbreviation

Definition of BAR

Baruch

BAr

abbreviation

Definition of BAR

bachelor of architecture

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

BAR

abbreviation

Definition of BAR

Browning automatic rifle