Barb Definition

bärb
barbs
noun
barbs
A thin, somewhat beardlike growth near the mouth of certain animals, as the barbel of a fish.
Webster's New World
A piece of white linen for covering the throat and sometimes the chin, worn by certain nuns.
Webster's New World
A sharp point curving or projecting in an opposite direction from the main point of a fishhook, arrow, etc.
Webster's New World
A cutting remark.
Webster's New World
Any of various Old World freshwater fishes of the genera Barbus, Puntius, and related genera of the family Cyprinidae.
American Heritage
Antonyms:
verb
To provide or furnish with a barb.
American Heritage
To provide with a barb.
Webster's New World
To provide or furnish with a barb.
American Heritage

To furnish with barbs, or with that which will hold or hurt like barbs, as an arrow, fishhook, spear, etc.

Wiktionary

To cover a horse in armor, corrupted from bard.

Wiktionary
pronoun

A diminutive of the female given name Barbara.

Wiktionary

(law) Abbreviation of Barbados.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Barb

Noun

Singular:
barb
Plural:
barbs

Origin of Barb

  • French barbe from Italian barbero Berber from Vulgar Latin Barbaria , Barbary States from Latin barbarus barbarous barbarous

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English barbe from Old French beard from Latin barba bhardh-ā- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English barbe from Old French beard from Latin barba bhardh-ā- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French barbe (“beard, beard-like element”)

    From Wiktionary

  • From Barbary, by shortening

    From Wiktionary

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to barb using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

barb