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

Synonyms:

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

Singular:

barb

Plural:

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