bar

1 of 9

noun (1)

ˈbär 

often attributive

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)

windows with bars across them

a door secured by an iron bar

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: such as

a

law : the destruction of an action (see action sense 5) or claim

a statute of limitations bar to the present action

also : a plea or objection that effects such destruction

b

: an intangible or nonphysical impediment

His poor attitude was a bar to his success.

c

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

3

law

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

The younger judge brought a fresh viewpoint to the bar.

(3)

: a particular system of courts

practices at the New York bar

(4)

: an authority or tribunal that hands down judgment

will be judged at the bar of public opinion

b(1)

: the barrier in the English Inns of Court that formerly separated the seats of the benchers or readers (see reader sense 2) 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

dreams of being admitted to the bar

(3)

: the profession of barrister or lawyer

… heighten respect for members of the bar and judiciary …

—W. L. Hoyt

(4)

US : the test that a person must pass in order to become eligible to work as a lawyer

passed the bar and went into private practice

the bar exam/examination

4

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

a

heraldry : 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 (see service entry 1 sense 6b)

a second lieutenant's bar

5

a

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

We sat at the bar while we waited for a table.

b

: a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks and sometimes food are served : barroom

They went to a bar for drinks.

c

: shop sense 2b

a coffee bar

6

music

a

: a vertical line across the musical staff before the initial measure accent (see accent entry 1 sense 5)

b

: measure

Sing the first two bars.

7

textiles : 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

9

: a strip along the edge of a computer window that contains commonly used options or icons

The horizontal navigation bar across the top and bottom enables users to move quickly from primary section to primary section within the site …

—Editor & Publisher

bar

2 of 9

verb

barred; barring

transitive verb

1

a

: to fasten with a long, narrow piece of wood, metal, or other material : to fasten with a bar (see bar entry 1 sense 1a)

b

: to place bars across to prevent ingress or egress

bar the door

2

: to mark with straight stripes, bands, or lines that are much longer than they are wide : to mark with bars (see bar entry 1 sense 4) : stripe

a feather barred with blue

3

a

: to confine or shut in by or as if by bars (see bar entry 1 sense 1a)

barring prisoners in their cells

b

: to set aside : to not take into consideration : rule out

did not bar the possibility of further measures

c

: to keep out : exclude

—often used with from

Women were barred from joining the club.

4

a

: to put forth legal objection to (something, such as a claim or action)

final judgment barred the subsequent claim

: to prevent (a party) from bringing a claim or action

Plaintiffs are barred from litigating such claims.

b

: prevent, forbid

a decision barring his participation

bar

3 of 9

preposition

: except

the country's most popular actor, bar none

bar

4 of 9

noun (2)

: a unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals

bar

5 of 9

abbreviation (1)

1

barometer; barometric

2

barrel

Bar

6 of 9

abbreviation (2)

Baruch

BAr

7 of 9

abbreviation (3)

bachelor of architecture

BAR

8 of 9

abbreviation (4)

Browning automatic rifle

bar-

9 of 9

combining form

variants or baro-

: weight : pressure

barometer

Phrases

behind bars

: in jail

putting criminals behind bars

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• billet
• rod

Verb

• band
• streak
• stripe

Preposition

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

Examples of bar in a Sentence

Verb

He barred the door as soon as he got in.

All the windows and doors were barred.

A herd of goats was barring the road.

Nothing barred them from meeting together.

The judge will bar the jurors from talking to reporters.

A federal court has barred the group from using the name.

The decision bars the possibility of additional development in the area.

forms of punishment barred by the Constitution

Preposition

They have lost every match, bar one.

everyone in the company is invited, bar none

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Reports in the Israeli press have previously indicated that Google and Amazon are contractually barred from preventing specific arms of the Israeli state using their technology under Project Nimbus. —Billy Perrigo, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024

Mizuhara is also barred from traveling outside of the Central District of California, which includes the Los Angeles area, without permission from the court. —Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Sign up for our weekly newsletter Hasen said the 14th Amendment, passed by Congress after the Civil War, bars anyone who participated in an insurrection from running for the presidency. —David Nakamura, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

The judge barred the city from holding any elections under the unconstitutional districts. —Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

The country’s Independent Electoral Commission, which had barred him from running, has three days to challenge Tuesday’s ruling allowing Mr. Zuma’s candidacy. —Lynsey Chutel, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024

The bill specifically would bar anyone under the age of 13 from buying any over-the counter cosmetic product that contains Vitamin A and its derivatives or an alpha hydroxy acid. —Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024

But those figures are largely immaterial for Trump, since he is contractually barred from selling or even borrowing against his shares for six months. —Rob Wile, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024

If history is any guide (and barring any major economic downturn), the possibility of several rate cuts before the end of 2024 seems far from certain. —Paul Weinstein Jr., Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Noun

Celebrating almost a decade in Miami, 1 Hotel South Beach recently began re-envisioning its food and beverage program with Tala Beach, a beachfront restaurant, bar and lounge, featuring daybeds and seating enclaves with overstuffed pillows for lounging under the palm trees, feet in the sand. —Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2024

The fan scarfing a hot dog while drinking a beer in the bleachers is making way for the one watching the game in an intimate suite, a V.I.P. club or a casual meeting spot with all-inclusive food offerings and bar stools overlooking the field. —Kevin Draper Doug Mills, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024

More:Milwaukee's suburban communities look at opting out of later bar times during the RNC More:Moore Construction Services buys Schwabenhof property in Menomonee Falls. —Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024

Even behind bars, O.J. Simpson was making odd jokes about the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, his former colleague, Bob Costas says. —Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024

On October 3, 1995, people gathered around TVs in living rooms, bars and workplaces to watch the verdict in the trial of O.J. Simpson, who had been charged with the grisly murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. —John Blake, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

The event will feature bites and sips from Cardiff’s restaurants, bars and retailers. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024

In addition to purchasing the gold bars on offer at some stores like Costco, investors can put funds into a variety of gold ETFs or buy shares in gold mining companies. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024

Photo from the unsealed indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez, accused of accepting bribes including gold bars. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Verb

Middle English barren, borrowed from Anglo-French barrer, derivative of barre bar entry 1

Preposition

derivative of bar entry 2

Noun (2)

German, from Greek baros

Combining form

Greek baros; akin to Greek barys heavy — more at grieve

First Known Use

Noun (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Preposition

1723, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1910, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bar

• bar car
• anti-roll bar
• bar chart
• bar cookie
• bar sinister
• bar mitzvah
• bar graph
• bar crawl
• bar soap
• breakfast bar
• cash bar
• bus bar
• coffee bar
• error bar
• color bar
• double bar
• granola bar
• horizontal bar
• open bar
• menu bar
• piano bar
• raise the bar
• pinch bar
• raw bar
• salad bar
• snack bar
• space bar
• sports bar
• T-bar
• task bar
• sway bar
• tend bar
• the bar
• tow bar
• wet bar
• wing bar
• fern bar
• sound bar
• button bar
• scroll bar
• wine bar
• tiki bar
• J-bar lift
• bar code
• towel bar
• torsion bar
• roll bar
• colour bar
• wrecking bar
• broke the color bar

Kids Definition

bar

1 of 4 noun

ˈbär 

1

a

: a straight piece (as of metal or wood) that is longer than it is wide

b

: a usually rectangular piece or block of material

a bar of soap

2

: something that hinders or blocks : obstacle

3

: a bank (as of sand) partly or entirely under water along a shore or in a river

4

a

: the railing in a courtroom around the place where the business of the court is carried on

b

: a court of law

c

: the profession of law

5

: stripe entry 3 sense 1

6

a

: a counter on which alcoholic drinks or food is served

b

: barroom

7

a

: a vertical line across the musical staff before the beginning of a measure

b

: measure entry 1 sense 4c

8

: standard entry 1 sense 2a

raise the bar for improving new medicines

bar

2 of 4 verb

barred; barring

1

: to fasten with a bar

bar the door

2

: to mark with bars : stripe

gray feathers barred with brown

3

: to block off : close

bar the road with a chain

4

a

: to keep out : exclude

bar reporters from a meeting

b

: prevent sense 1, forbid

the judge barred them from talking to reporters

bar

3 of 4 preposition

: with the exception of

bar none

bar

4 of 4 noun

: a unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals

Etymology

Noun

Middle English barre "bar," from early French barre (same meaning)

Noun

from German Bar "unit of pressure," from Greek baros "weight, pressure"

Medical Definition

bar

1 of 4 noun

ˈbär 

often attributive

1

a

: a piece of metal that connects parts of a removable partial denture

b

: the part of the wall of a horse's hoof that is bent inward toward the frog at the heel on each side and that extends toward the center of the sole

2

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

a

: a transverse ridge on the roof of a horse's mouth

—usually used in plural

b

: the space in front of the molar teeth of a horse in which the bit is placed

bar

2 of 4 transitive verb

barred; barring

: to cut free and ligate (a vein in a horse's leg) above and below the site of a projected operative procedure

bar

3 of 4 noun

: a unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals or to one million dynes per square centimeter or to 0.9869 atmosphere

bar

4 of 4 abbreviation

barometer; barometric

Legal Definition

bar

1 of 2 noun

ˈbär 

often attributive

1

a

: the railing in a courtroom that encloses the area around the judge where prisoners are stationed in criminal cases or where the business of the court is transacted in civil cases compare bench sense 1, dock, jury box, stand

b

: court, tribunal

the younger judge brought a fresh viewpoint to the bar

2

a

: the whole body of lawyers

especially : those qualified to practice in the courts of a particular jurisdiction

admitted to the Arizona bar

the bankruptcy bar

compare bench sense 3b

b

: the profession or occupation of lawyer

c

: bar examination

passed the bar

3

: something that prevents admission, progress, or action: as

a

: an intangible impediment, obstacle, or barrier

consent of the victim is a bar to conviction

b

: the permanent preclusion of a claim or action especially due to the loss of a previous suit based on the same cause of action and between the same parties

its earlier successful suit against the purchaser for the price was a bar to the present suit

—Martino v. McDonald's System, Inc., 598 F.2d 1079 (1979)

compare collateral estoppel at estoppel sense 2a, merger sense 4, res judicata sense 2

bar

2 of 2 transitive verb

barred; barring

1

: to keep out : exclude

cannot bar the items from sale

2

: to prevent from doing or accomplishing (something)

plaintiff's conduct may bar her recovery

the contract bars his reinstatement

3

: preclude: as

a

: to act as a bar to (as a claim or action)

final judgment barred the subsequent claim

b

: to prevent (a party) from bringing a claim or action

plaintiffs are barred by the judgment…from relitigating their claims

—Roach v. Teamsters Local Union No. 688, 595 F.2d 446 (1979)

see also estop compare merge sense 2

barrable adjective