bar

1 of 9

noun (1)

ˈbär

often attributive

Synonyms of bar next

: 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

: a solid piece or block of material that is longer than it is wide

a bar of gold

a candy bar

: 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

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

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

: an intangible or nonphysical impediment

His poor attitude was a bar to his success.

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

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

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

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

: 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

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

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

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

They went to a bar for drinks.

: shop sense 2b

a coffee bar

music

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

: measure

Sing the first two bars.

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

: standard

wants to raise the bar for approving new drugs

: 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

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

: to place bars across to prevent ingress or egress

bar the door

: 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

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

barring prisoners in their cells

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

did not bar the possibility of further measures

: to keep out : exclude

—often used with from

Women were barred from joining the club.

: 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.

: 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

combining form

variants or baro-

: weight : pressure

barometer

Phrases

behind bars

: in jail

putting criminals behind bars

Example Sentences

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 See More

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of bar was in the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing bar

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bar. Accessed 2 Feb. 2023.

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Kids Definition

bar

1 of 4 noun

ˈbär

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

: a usually rectangular piece or block of material

a bar of soap

: something that hinders or blocks : obstacle

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

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

: a court of law

: the profession of law

: stripe entry 3 sense 1

: a counter on which alcoholic drinks or food is served

: barroom

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

: measure entry 1 sense 4c

: standard entry 1 sense 2a

raise the bar for improving new medicines

bar

2 of 4 verb

barred; barring

: to fasten with a bar

bar the door

: to mark with bars : stripe

gray feathers barred with brown

: to block off : close

bar the road with a chain

: to keep out : exclude

bar reporters from a meeting

: 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

Medical Definition

bar

1 of 4 noun

ˈbär

often attributive

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

: 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

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

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

—usually used in plural

: 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

: 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

: court, tribunal

the younger judge brought a fresh viewpoint to the bar

: 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

: the profession or occupation of lawyer

: bar examination

passed the bar

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

: an intangible impediment, obstacle, or barrier

consent of the victim is a bar to conviction

: 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