a relatively long, evenly shaped piece of some solid substance, as metal or wood, used as a guard or obstruction or for some mechanical purpose: the bars of a cage.
an oblong piece of any solid material: a bar of soap; a candy bar.
the amount of material in a bar.
an ingot, lump, or wedge of gold or silver.
a long ridge of sand, gravel, or other material near or slightly above the surface of the water at or near the mouth of a river or harbor entrance, often constituting an obstruction to navigation.
anything that obstructs, hinders, or impedes; obstacle; barrier: a bar to important legislation.
a counter or place where beverages, especially liquors, or light meals are served to customers: a snack bar; a milk bar.
a barroom or tavern.
(in a home) a counter, small wagon, or similar piece of furniture for serving food or beverages: a breakfast bar.
the legal profession.
the practicing members of the legal profession in a given community.
any tribunal: the bar of public opinion.
a band or strip: a bar of light.
a railing in a courtroom separating the general public from the part of the room occupied by the judges, jury, attorneys, etc.
a crowbar.
Music.
Also called bar line .the line marking the division between two measures of music.
double bar.
the unit of music contained between two bar lines; measure.
Ballet. barre.
Law.
an objection that nullifies an action or claim.
a stoppage or defeat of an alleged right of action.
Typography. a horizontal stroke of a type character, as of an A, H, t, and sometimes e.
Architecture. (in tracery) a relatively long and slender upright of stone treated as a colonette or molded.
Building Trades.
an iron or steel shape: I-bar.
a muntin.
Military. one of a pair of metal or cloth insignia worn by certain commissioned officers.
bars,the transverse ridges on the roof of the mouth of a horse.
a space between the molar and canine teeth of a horse into which the bit is fitted.
(in a bridle) the mouthpiece connecting the cheeks.
bride2 (def. 1).
Heraldry. a horizontal band, narrower than a fess, that crosses the field of an escutcheon.
Obsolete. a gateway capable of being barred.
verb (used with object),barred,bar·ring.
to equip or fasten with a bar or bars: Bar the door before retiring for the night.
to block by or as if by bars: The police barred the exits in an attempt to prevent the thief's escape.
to prevent or hinder: They barred her entrance to the club.
to exclude or except: He was barred from membership because of his reputation.
to mark with bars, stripes, or bands.
preposition
except; omitting; but: bar none.
Idioms for bar
at bar, Law.
before the court and being tried: a case at bar.
before all the judges of a court: a trial at bar.
behind bars, in jail: We wanted the criminal behind bars.
Origin of bar
1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English barre, barr, bar, from Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin barra “rod,” of obscure, perhaps pre-Latin, origin
SYNONYMS FOR bar
1 rod, pole.
5 shoal, reef, bank, sand bar.
6 deterrent, stop.
7 saloon, cocktail lounge.
30, 31 obstruct, deter, impede, barricade.
32 drop.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR bar ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for bar
6. Bar,barrier,barricade mean something put in the way of advance. Bar has the general meaning of hindrance or obstruction: a bar across the doorway.Barrier suggests an impediment to progress or a defensive obstruction (natural or artificial): a trade barrier; a mountain barrier; a road barrier. A barricade is especially a pile of articles hastily gathered or a rude earthwork for protection in street fighting: a barricade of wooden boxes.
Few foods occupy your mind without requiring your full focus quite like sunflower seedsI don’t remember my first string cheese or Kudos bar or Fig Newton, but for some reason, sunflower seeds and I have an origin story.
Sunflower Seeds Are the Best Snack for the Anxious Mind|Emma Alpern|September 17, 2020|Eater
On Google-powered devices you can also swipe up from the bottom and hold to see recently used apps, or swipe left or right along the home bar at the foot of the display to quickly jump between open apps.
Get around your phone more quickly than you already are|David Nield|September 16, 2020|Popular Science
Finally, regulators and lawmakers should trust bars and restaurants to responsibly offer cocktails-to-go.
Bar Rescue: Pandemic Edition|jakemeth|September 15, 2020|Fortune
Of course, I still enjoyed being able to drink at a bar, but I recognized this custom was different now.
The Last Bar Standing?|Eugene Robinson|September 15, 2020|Ozy
With its classic bar and varied rooms, the whole place is simply beguiling.
We owe it to places like the Tabard Inn|Brock Thompson|September 11, 2020|Washington Blade
“That was bar first made him fall in love with bars,” Sismondo says.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The bar also claims that it hosted the first-ever poetry slam 28 years ago.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A sepia photo shows him as a young boy, head in his hands, with a large book open at a bar table.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His later books drew heavily from experiences and people he encountered at the bar, including the cruel captain in The Sea-Wolf.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Visitors today can keep watch over the scene in the booth at the end of the bar that Capone and his cronies once occupied.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The bar fell aside and he pulled a .45 pistol from its clamp.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth
When this is done, how happy will all be to remove every bar and ban!
Charles Sumner; his complete works, volume 18 (of 20)|Charles Sumner
He studied law and was admitted to the bar in Paris, Kentucky.
Fifty Years In The Northwest|William Henry Carman Folsom
Saxham, leaving a banknote lying on the counter, wheeled abruptly, and went out of the bar.
The Dop Doctor|Clotilde Inez Mary Graves
I was standing at the bar making all the speed possible with my food, so as to give place to the crowd pressing behind me.
Jonathan and His Continent|Max O'Rell
British Dictionary definitions for bar (1 of 7)
bar1
/ (bɑː) /
noun
a rigid usually straight length of metal, wood, etc, that is longer than it is wide or thick, used esp as a barrier or as a structural or mechanical parta bar of a gate
a solid usually rectangular block of any materiala bar of soap
anything that obstructs or prevents
an offshore ridge of sand, mud, or shingle lying near the shore and parallel to it, across the mouth of a river, bay, or harbour, or linking an island to the mainland
US and Canadianan alluvial deposit in a stream, river, or lake
a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served
a counter, room, or establishment where a particular range of goods, food, services, etc, are solda coffee bar; a heel bar
a narrow band or stripe, as of colour or light
a heating element in an electric fire
(in England) the area in a court of law separating the part reserved for the bench and Queen's Counsel from the area occupied by junior barristers, solicitors, and the general publicSee also Bar
the place in a court of law where the accused stands during his trialthe prisoner at the bar
a particular court of law
British(in the House of Lords and House of Commons) the boundary where nonmembers wishing to address either House appear and where persons are arraigned
a plea showing that a plaintiff has no cause of action, as when the case has already been adjudicated upon or the time allowed for bringing the action has passed
anything referred to as an authority or tribunalthe bar of decency
Also called: measuremusic
a group of beats that is repeated with a consistent rhythm throughout a piece or passage of music. The number of beats in the bar is indicated by the time signature
another word for bar line
Britishinsignia added to a decoration indicating a second award
USa strip of metal worn with uniform, esp to signify rank or as an award for service
a variant spelling of barre
sport See crossbar
gymnastics See horizontal bar
part of the metal mouthpiece of a horse's bridle
the space between the horse's teeth in which such a part fits
either of two horny extensions that project forwards and inwards from the rear of the outer layer of a horse's hoof
See crowbar, glazing-bar
lacemakingneedlework another name for bride 2
heraldryan ordinary consisting of a horizontal line across a shield, typically narrower than a fesse, and usually appearing in twos or threes
mathsa superscript line ⁻ placed over a letter symbol to indicate, for example, a mean value or the complex conjugate of a complex number
behind barsin prison
won't have a bar oforwouldn't have a bar ofAustralian and NZinformalcannot tolerate; dislike
verbbars, barringorbarred(tr)
to fasten or secure with a barto bar the door
to shut in or out with or as if with barriersto bar the entrances
to obstruct; hinderthe fallen tree barred the road
(usually foll by from)to prohibit; forbidto bar a couple from meeting
(usually foll by from)to keep out; excludeto bar a person from membership
to mark with a bar or bars
lawto prevent or halt (an action) by showing that the claimant has no cause
to mark off (music) into bars with bar lines
preposition
except forthe best recital bar last night's
bar nonewithout exception
Word Origin for bar
C12: from Old French barre, from Vulgar Latin barra (unattested) bar, rod, of unknown origin
British Dictionary definitions for bar (2 of 7)
bar2
/ (bɑː) /
noun
a cgs unit of pressure equal to 10 6 dynes per square centimetre. 1 bar is equivalent to 10 5 newtons per square metre
Word Origin for bar
C20: from Greek baros weight
British Dictionary definitions for bar (3 of 7)
bar3
/ (bɑː) Southwest Englishdialect /
noun
immunity from being caught or otherwise penalized in a game
interjection
a cry for such immunity
Word Origin for bar
variant of barley ²
British Dictionary definitions for bar (4 of 7)
Bar
/ (bɑː) /
nounthe Bar
(in England and elsewhere) barristers collectively
USthe legal profession collectively
be called to the BarBritishto become a barrister
be called within the BarBritishto be appointed as a Queen's Counsel
A unit used to measure atmospheric pressure. It is equal to a force of 100,000 newtons per square meter of surface area, or 0.987 atmosphere.
An elongated, offshore ridge of sand, gravel, or other unconsolidated sediment, formed by the action of waves or long-shore currents and submerged at least during high tide. Bars are especially common near the mouths of rivers or estuaries.
A ridgelike mound of sand, gravel or silt formed within a stream, along its banks, or at its mouth. Bars form where the stream's current slows down, causing sediment to be deposited.