barb

¹barb

noun \ˈbärb\

Definition of BARB

1

: a medieval cloth headdress passing over or under the chin and covering the neck

2

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 comment

3

: ²barbel

4

: any of the side branches of the shaft of a feather — see feather illustration

5

: a plant hair or bristle ending in a hook

— barb·less \-ləs\ adjective

Origin of BARB

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Rhymes with BARB

arb, carb, garb