barb

views updated May 21 2018

barb / bärb/ • n. 1. a sharp projection near the end of an arrow, fishhook, or similar item, angled away from the main point so as to make extraction difficult. ∎ a cluster of spikes on barbed wire. ∎ fig. a deliberately hurtful remark: his barb hurt more than she cared to admit. ∎ a beardlike filament at the mouth of some fish, such as barbel and catfish. 2. a freshwater fish (Barbus and other genera) of the minnow family that typically has barbels around the mouth, popular in aquariums.barb² • n. a small horse of a hardy breed originally from North Africa.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

barb

views updated May 18 2018

barb
1. (in zoology) Any one of the stiff filaments forming a row on each side of the longitudinal shaft of a feather (see illustration). Together the barbs form the expanded part (vane) of the feather. See barbule.

2. (in botany) A hooked hair.

A Dictionary of Biology

barb

views updated May 23 2018

barb a small horse of a hardy breed originally from North Africa. Recorded from the mid 17th century, the name comes via French from Italian barbero ‘of Barbary’.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES

barb

views updated Jun 11 2018

barb recurved process (of arrow). XIV. — (O)F. barbe :- L. barba BEARD.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

BARB

views updated Jun 27 2018

BARB (bɑːb) British Association of Rose Breeders
• British Audience Research Bureau
• Broadcasters' Audience Research Board

The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH