Main Entry:

¹barb

Pronunciation:

\ˈbärb\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English barbe barb, beard, from Anglo-French, from Latin barba — more at beard

Date:

14th century

1: a medieval cloth headdress passing over or under the chin and covering the neck2 a: a sharp projection extending backward (as from the point of an arrow or fishhook) and preventing easy extraction ; also : a sharp projection with its point similarly oblique to something else b: a biting or pointedly critical remark or comment3: ²barbel4: any of the side branches of the shaft of a feather — see feather illustration5: a plant hair or bristle ending in a hook

— barb·less \-ləs\ adjective