barcode

noun

bar·​code ˈbär-ˌkōd 

variants or less commonly bar code

plural barcodes also bar codes

1

: a code consisting of a group of printed and variously patterned bars and spaces and sometimes numerals that is designed to be scanned and read into computer memory and that contains information (such as identification) about the object it labels

… one version of the barcode reader used in supermarkets employs a laser scanner.

—Science

I on the other hand boarded the traditional way. I handed my paper printout to the airport personnel, who scanned the barcode before letting me proceed.

—Sanjeeb Patel

2

biology : something (such as a DNA sequence) that uniquely identifies a species of organism

… they now plan to analyze each fish sample by decoding a certain tiny piece of DNA that can serve as a unique bar code for the species.

—Christen Brownlee

bar-coded

ˈbär-ˌkō-dəd 

adjective

bar coding noun

Examples of barcode in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The rule requires election officials to submit each mail voter’s name and address to a new USPS portal, along with unique Intelligent Mail barcodes assigned to the envelopes used to send and return that voter’s ballot. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026

The Postal Service proposed that states provide the individual barcodes associated with every mail-in ballot, to check them as they are districted to help prevent fraud. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

All election officials would also be required to have certain barcodes on their mail ballot envelopes. — Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026

Uzbekistan already has an electronic cotton traceability system, which uses barcodes and RFID tags to trace fiber origin. — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for barcode

• abode
• anode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad
• decode

Kids Definition

bar code

noun

: a code made up of a group of printed and variously spaced bars and sometimes numerals that is designed to be scanned and read into computer memory and that contains information (as identification) about the object it labels