barb Hear it!

barb1 definition

barb (bärb)

noun

  1. a thin, somewhat beardlike growth near the mouth of certain animals, as the barbel of a fish
  2. a piece of white linen for covering the throat and sometimes the chin, worn by certain nuns
  3. a sharp point curving or projecting in an opposite direction from the main point of a fishhook, arrow, etc.
  4. a cutting remark
  5. one of the hairlike branches on the shaft of a feather
  6. Bot. a hooked hair or bristle

Etymology: ME & OFr barbe < L barba, beard

transitive verb

to provide with a barb
barb2 definition

barb (bärb)

noun

  1. a horse of a breed native to N Africa, noted for speed and strength
  2. a breed of pigeon similar to the carrier pigeon

Etymology: Fr barbe, Barbary horse < It barbero < Ar Barbar, Berber

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